How did Kaiser Permanente begin?
Sidney R. Garfield, and a pioneering industrialist, Henry J. Kaiser, came together to build a new model for health care. The organization that is now Kaiser Permanente began at the height of the Great Depression with a single inventive young surgeon and a 12-bed hospital in the middle of the Mojave Desert.
Where did the name Kaiser Permanente come from?
The name Permanente came from Permanente Creek, which flowed past Henry Kaiser's Kaiser Permanente Cement Plant on Black Mountain in Cupertino, California. Kaiser's first wife, Bess Fosburgh, liked the name. An abandoned Oakland facility was modernized as the 170-bed Permanente Hospital opened on August 1, 1942.
Who is Kaiser Permanente owned by?
Ownership: Kaiser Permanente is a privately held, notfor-profit organization. Principal Subsidiary Companies: Kaiser Permanente is an organization of three business segments that are linked by exclusive contracts: Kaiser Foundation Health Plans, Inc.; Kaiser Foundation Hospitals; and Permanente Medical Groups.
Where did Kaiser originate?
German: from Middle High German keiser 'emperor', from the Latin imperial title Caesar. This was the title borne by Holy Roman Emperors from Otto I (962) to Francis II (who relinquished the title in 1806). Later, it was borne by the monarch of Bismarck's united Germany (1871–1918).
Is Kaiser Permanente only in California?
Kaiser Permanente service areas include all or parts of: • California • Colorado • Georgia • Hawaii • Maryland • Oregon • Virginia • Washington • Washington, D.C. As a Kaiser Permanente member, you're covered for emergency and urgent care anywhere in the world.
How is Kaiser Permanente different?
At Kaiser Permanente, we are relentless in our pursuit of excellence. Driven by our mission to provide the highest quality preventive medicine, we are committed to eliminating health care disparities, and to making lives better through innovation, technology, and research.
What is Kaiser famous for?
Kaiser, in full Henry John Kaiser, (born May 9, 1882, Sprout Brook, N.Y., U.S.—died Aug. 24, 1967, Honolulu, Hawaii), American industrialist and founder of more than 100 companies including Kaiser Aluminum, Kaiser Steel, and Kaiser Cement and Gypsum.
What is special about Kaiser Permanente?
We serve our members using a unique business model that combines health coverage and care delivery into one coordinated experience. Unlike a traditional insurance company, we are a membership-based, prepaid, direct health care system.
Where does Kaiser Permanente rank?
Oakland, California-based Kaiser Permanente snagged the top spot in the rankings, up from No. 4 in last year's survey. Being an integrated health system makes it easier for beneficiaries to find in-network providers, improving satisfaction scores, Insure.com found.
What does Black Kaiser mean?
The Black Kaiser, a name whispered in dark corners amongst power czars across the globe. A cold knife in the dark. A secret agent. Delve into the origin of the most feared assassin as his current mission lands him on American soil and in direct conflict with the nefarious agency known as the Damocles Initiative.
When was the first Kaiser?
William I or Wilhelm I (German: Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 2 January 1861 and German Emperor from 18 January 1871 until his death in 1888....William I, German Emperor.William IYears of service1809–1858 (active service)RankGeneralfeldmarschall (active service)Unit1st Guards Regiment36 more rows
How many states is Kaiser Permanente in?
8 statesIn This Section Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente is recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia.
When was Kaiser Permanente founded?
The history of Kaiser Permanente dates to 1933 and a tiny hospital in the town of Desert Center, California. At that time, Henry J. Kaiser and several other large construction contractors had formed an insurance consortium called Industrial Indemnity to meet their workers' compensation obligations.
What is Kaiser Permanente?
Kaiser Permanente ( / ˈkaɪzər pɜːrməˈnɛnteɪ /; KP ), commonly known simply as Kaiser, is an American integrated managed care consortium, based in Oakland, California, United States, founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield. Kaiser Permanente is made up of three distinct but interdependent groups of entities: the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. (KFHP) and its regional operating subsidiaries; Kaiser Foundation Hospitals; and the regional Permanente Medical Groups. As of 2017, Kaiser Permanente operates in eight states ( Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia) and the District of Columbia, and is the largest managed care organization in the United States.
How many people did Kaiser cover in California in 1990?
By 1990, Kaiser Permanente provided coverage for about a third of the population of the cities of San Francisco and Oakland; total Northern California membership was over 2.4 million. Elsewhere, Kaiser Permanente did not do as well, and its geographic footprint changed significantly in the 1990s.
How many members does Kaiser Permanente have?
Kaiser Permanente is one of the largest nonprofit healthcare plans in the United States, with over 12 million members. It operates 39 hospitals and more than 700 medical offices, with over 300,000 personnel, including more than 80,000 physicians and nurses.
How many states does Kaiser Permanente operate in?
As of 2017, Kaiser Permanente operates in eight states ( Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, ...
What is Kaiser fined for?
Kaiser has been fined nearly $500k, more than any other health care employer in California, by Cal/OSHA for its violations regarding patient and staff safety following outbreaks of COVID-19 in Kaiser hospitals across California, though primarily in the Bay Area. Kaiser is responsible for more than 10% of all COVID violations in California. A COVID-19 outbreak sickened 92 people at Kaiser San Jose Medical Center on Christmas Day 2020. Kaiser San Leandro received the largest portion of fines, nearly $90k, for delays in reporting COVID infections and for failure to ration medical equipment according to pandemic regulations.
When did Kaiser move to Hawaii?
While Keene and Trefethen struggled to fix the damage from Kaiser's micromanagement and Garfield's ineffectual management, Henry Kaiser moved to Oahu in 1956 and insisted on expanding Kaiser Permanente into Hawaii in 1958 .
When did Kaiser become a non profit?
In 1977, four years after the signing of the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973, all six of Kaiser’s regions became federally-qualified HMOs. In 1980, Kaiser acquired a non-profit group practice to create the Mid-Atlantic region, encompassing the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.
When did Kaiser add Hawaii?
In 1958, Kaiser added Hawaii to its original three regions in Northern California, Southern California, and Oregon. Membership reached one million in 1963. In 1969, Kaiser added regions in Colorado and Ohio. Nine years later, in 1976, membership reached three million.
How many divisions does Kaiser Permanente have?
Kaiser Permanente provides care through eight regional divisions. Each of these regions are comprised of three codependent organizations, a structure which has endured since Kaiser physicians and leaders agreed to this framework, known as the Tahoe Agreement, in 1955.
How much money did Kaiser get after Engalla died?
The California Supreme Court found that Kaiser had a financial incentive to wait until after Engalla died; his spouse could recover $500,000 from Kaiser if the case was arbitrated while he was alive, but only $250,000 after he died. Patients and attorneys continue to fight for the right to sue.
What is a permanente medical group?
The Permanente Medical Groups are for-profit partnerships of physicians, which have responsibility for providing and arranging medical care for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan members in each respective region. The first medical group, The Permanente Medical Group, formed in 1948 in Northern California.
What was Kaiser's agreement with AFL-CIO?
In 1997, Kaiser established an agreement with the AFL-CIO to provide for a more positive relationship between management and labor, known as the Labor-Management Partnership. In 1999, a number of groups sued the organization over its “In the Hands of Doctors” advertising campaign.
When did Kaiser sell its HMO?
Kaiser sold its Texas HMO in 1998. The problems in Texas were so severe that Kaiser directed its law firm to attempt to block the release of a Texas Department of Insurance report in 1997 – a report that prompted the state attorney general to threaten to revoke Kaiser’s license.
Our care
Through our unique model, nation-leading prevention, and cutting-edge treatment, we care for our members like no other health system.
Research and innovation
With one of the nation’s most productive research institutions, we’re making discoveries to help you live a longer, healthier life.
Our people
We hire smart, innovative people who amaze and delight our members every day. Their energy, expertise, and passion help us deliver on our mission.
Our history
Since 1945, we’ve been leading the way with innovative approaches to health care.
Who founded Kaiser Permanente?
The Permanente Foundation 1942. Henry J. Kaiser and his wife Bess establish the Permanente Foundation for the charitable purpose of supporting Kaiser's hospital and medical research. X. 1942 - 1945 The KP Model is Born.
How many Kaiser Permanente members have electronic health records?
More than 1 million Kaiser Permanente members have early versions of electronic health records. Santa Clara Medical Center dedicates a solar water-heating project, one of the largest such installations at a health care facility in the United States.
When was computer technology first used in medical?
1962 Harnessing Computer Technology. Under first director Dr. Morris Collen, the Northern California research department receives its first grant from the U.S. Public Health Service to use computers to automate and evaluate multiphasic examinations, a major advance in the field of medical informatics.
When was Kaiser Permanente founded?
Kaiser Permanente has been dedicated to patient care since the inception of the Kaiser Company in 1934. It has experienced its fair share of growing pains, and some bumps in the road, but their future is bright as the prestigious hospital group continues their commitment to improving patient care. Back To The Team.
How many doctors did Kaiser have?
By 1938, the Kaiser Company was established, with ten physicians under his employ, and three working hospitals. By July of 1942, the Kaiser Company was providing care to over 20,000 people, with a strong emphasis on preventative medicine.
Why did Garfield create his own managed care consortium?
He desired to bring cheap yet, effective healthcare to those suffering from the Great Depression. Garfield's ambition to treat all patients regardless of ability to pay made him a critical figure in the healthcare industry at the time - this desire is what ultimately drove him to create his own managed care consortium.
Is Kaiser a non profit?
By 1948 the Kaiser Company became a recognized non-profit organization, focusing on major healthcare issues facing the nation. In an attempt to improve the organization and attract patients, the Kaiser Company entered a partnership with the Permanente Group.
Who wrote about the Permanente Health Plan?
Access to health care was no exception, yet the Permanente Foundation Hospitals took the high road. Journalist Nick Bourne wrote about the Permanente Health Plan in the San Francisco News on October 7, 1943. He noted: Illness knows no color line here.
What is integrated health care?
One of Kaiser Permanente’s key features is that it is an “Integrated health care system” — meaning it seamlessly provides care and coverage together and provides a wide range of services under one roof, whether in a Kaiser Permanente medical office or hospital or at a contracted facility. But in 1945 “integrated” also held another important meaning when the health plan was opened to the public — it reflected a deep commitment to being one of the first health care providers in the United States to have racially integrated hospitals and waiting rooms, as well as an ethnically diverse workforce, including physicians and allied health professionals.
Overview
History
The history of Kaiser Permanente dates to 1933 and a tiny hospital in the town of Desert Center, California. At that time, Henry J. Kaiser and several other large construction contractors had formed an insurance consortium called Industrial Indemnity to meet their workers' compensation obligations. Sidney Garfield had just finished his residency at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center at a time …
Structure and governance
Kaiser Permanente provides care throughout eight regions in the United States. Two or three (four, in the case of California) distinct but interdependent legal entities form the Kaiser system within each region. This structure was adopted by Kaiser Permanente physicians and leaders in 1955.
Each entity of Kaiser Permanente has its own management and governance st…
Quality of care
In the California Healthcare Quality Report Card 2013 Edition, Kaiser Permanente's Northern California and Southern California regions, KP received four out of four possible stars in Meeting National Standards of Care. KP North and South also received three out of four stars in Members Rate Their HMO. KP's performance has been attributed to three practices: First, KP places a strong emphasis on preventive care, reducing costs later on. Second, its doctors are salaried rat…
Research and publishing
Kaiser operates a Division of Research, which annually conducts between 200 and 300 studies, and the Center for Health Research, which in 2009 had more than 300 active studies. Kaiser's bias toward prevention is reflected in the areas of interest—vaccine and genetic studies are prominent. The work is funded primarily by federal, state, and other outside (non-Kaiser) institutions.
Kaiser has created and operates a voluntary biobank of donated blood samples from members al…
Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
Kaiser Permanente announced its plan to start a medical school in December, 2015, and the school welcomed its inaugural class in June, 2020. The vision for the school is to redesign physician education around the pillars of patient-centered care, population health, quality improvement, team-based care, and health equity.
Mark Schuster, MD, PhD was named the medical school's Founding Dean and CEO in 2017. The …
Controversies
In order to contain costs, Kaiser requires an agreement by planholders to submit patient malpractice claims to arbitration rather than litigating through the court system. This has triggered some opposition.
Wilfredo Engalla is a notable case. In 1991, Engalla died of lung cancer nearly five months after submitting a written demand for arbitration. The California Supreme Court found that Kaiser had …
See also
• Kaiser Family Foundation
Table of Contents
Introduction
- Perhaps the best introduction to the Kaiser HMO and Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program is the summary by Edgar Kaiser that the less Kaiser does for patients the more money it makes. To get the full context one can go to the University of Virginia* and review the presentation Mr. Kaiser (then Kaiser CEO) made to President Nixon through John Erlichman — the less they do the more …
Structure
- Kaiser Permanente provides care through eight regional divisions. Each of these regions are comprised of three codependent organizations, a structure which has endured since Kaiser physicians and leaders agreed to this framework, known as the Tahoe Agreement, in 1955. The organization defines its eight regions, or divisions, as: 1. Northern California 2. Southern Californ…
History
- The history of Kaiser Permanente dates to 1933 in Eagle Mountain / Desert Center, California. There, Garfield opened the Contractors General Hospital, with twelve beds, to treat construction workers building the Los Angeles Aqueduct in the Mojave Desert. The hospital was in a precarious financial state, fueled by Garfield’s desire to treat all pati...
Criticism
- Kaiser’s policy of forcing patients with malpractice claims into arbitration has been highly controversial. Wilfredo Engalla died in 1991, after waiting 6 months just to have an arbiter appointed. The California Supreme Court found that Kaiser had a financial incentive to wait until after Engalla died; his spouse could recover $500,000 from Kaiser if the case was arbitrated whil…
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