Kaiser News

Extreme obesity is affecting more children at younger ages, with 7.3 percent of boys, 5.5 percent of girls, 11.2 percent of Hispanic teenage boys and 12 percent of black teenage girls now classified as extremely obese, according to a Kaiser Permanente study of 710,949 children and teens that appears online in the 'Journal of Pediatrics.'

Kaiser Permanente was ranked No. 4 on the 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity(R) list, up three spots from the previous year, for its demonstrated use of diversity best practices and results. This is the first time Kaiser Permanente has been ranked in the top 5 of this list.

Coffee drinkers may be less likely to be hospitalized for heart rhythm disturbances, according to a new study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. The researchers, who note the findings may be surprising because patients frequently report palpitations after drinking coffee, are presenting the study at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention in San Francisco on March 5, 2010.

Kathy Gerwig, Kaiser Permanente's vice president for Workplace Safety and environmental stewardship officer, testified March 9 before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environment, about Kaiser Permanente's efforts to curb the use of potentially toxic chemicals.

Kaiser Permanente, the nation's leading health care provider and not-for-profit health plan, received 12 Stage 7 Awards from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. The Stage 7 Award honors hospitals that have achieved the highest level electronic health record implementation. The 12 awards were presented at the HIMSS 2010 annual conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

The sooner people with diabetes start taking metformin, the longer the drug remains effective, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the March issue of 'Diabetes Care,' a journal of the American Diabetes Association.

Kaiser Permanente announced today that every medical facility within the health system is now equipped with Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect(R), the largest private sector electronic health record in the world. Kaiser Permanente hospitals in Oakland, Richmond and Vallejo in Northern California are the most recent facilities to complete the final phase of electronic health record implementation, which includes bedside documentation, clinical decision support and bar-coding for medication administration.

The Nolo Press book, 'Healthy Employees, Healthy Business,' offers small business owners advice on creating and maintaining effective workplace wellness programs.

Women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester, may increase their risk of developing diabetes later in their pregnancy, according to a study by the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research that appears online in the current issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Cochran, executive director of The Permanente Federation, talked to the National Governors Association about transforming health care delivery and the potential of integrated delivery systems.