2011 Community Benefit Annual Report Underscores Kaiser Permanente’s Commitment to Total Health

(3BL Media) August 8, 2012 - Kaiser Permanente 2011 Community Benefit Annual Report is now available. The report, titled “Deeper & Stronger,” underscores how our commitment to total health continues to grow by reinforcing Kaiser Permanente’s mission to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.

While the American economy appeared to be getting better in 2011, as unemployment rates dropped to 8.6 percent, the lowest level in two and a half years, the relief did not extend to many people. The percentage of American adults without health insurance increased in 2011 to 17.1 percent — up from 16.8 percent in 2010. Kaiser Permanente took action to offer some relief, with more than $1.8 billion devoted to community benefit activities in 2011.

Here are a few highlights from the report:

• Grants totaling $68 million have been contributed to community health initiatives and environmental stewardship programs.
• Kaiser Permanente continues to be at the forefront of embracing clean-energy solutions, by using sustainable building materials and purchasing safer alternatives for IV tubing and cleaner chemicals. 
• Committed to a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emission by 2020, Kaiser Permanente added solar power at 12 facilities across California. 
• To ease the pressure on safety net partners, Kaiser Permanente invested $24.6 million in grants to help create healthy communities. 
• The organization invested more than $7.7 million in over 40 local Healthy Eating Acting Living partnerships.
• Kaiser Permanente also added two popular online walking campaigns — KP Walk! for employees and Every Body Walk! for the public at large.
• Through a total investment in medical research of $191 million in 2011, Kaiser Permanente was able to conduct more than 4,000 research and evaluation studies and publish more than 1,100 articles in professional journals that cover a variety of topics including childhood obesity, diabetes, HIV and genomics, as well as environmental issues. 
• Kaiser Permanente volunteerism continues to grow, with more than 12,000 hours to date spent rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and more than 6,900 volunteers coming together to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

​For more details about Kaiser Permanente’s community benefit activities and programs, please visit the 2011 Community Benefit Annual Report website.

More about Kaiser Permanente’s community investment efforts can be found throughout the Community Benefit website at www.kp.org/communitybenefit.