Community Corner

Kaiser Permanente Honored for Volunteerism and Philanthropy

The annual awards presentation honors organizations statewide that are leaders in creating programs and providing volunteers to assist Californians in need.

By Karl Sonkin

Kaiser Permanente is among eight recipients this year of Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr.’s highest volunteer awards, which recognize innovation in public service and volunteerism that have made a positive impact on communities across California.

The 2013 Volunteer Service Awards were presented at a ceremony at the California State Capitol in Sacramento on May 22, at which Kaiser Permanente was named “Foundation of the Year.”

“This honor is a tribute to the thousands of Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians who volunteer their time and expertise to help improve community health across California,” said Yvette Radford, vice president for external and community affairs for Kaiser Permanente in Northern California.

“This work reflects Kaiser Permanente’s mission since its inception, which emphasizes improving the total health not only of our members, but of everyone in the communities we serve.”

In its citation, the California Volunteers Office applauded Kaiser Permanente for making a successful investment in service and volunteering models that address community needs.

In 2012, Kaiser Permanente invested more than $230 million in community-focused programs and services in California. By creating programs based on comprehensive needs assessments in individual communities, Kaiser Permanente “designed a charitable contribution program that meets specific needs of vulnerable populations throughout the state, working towards eliminating health disparities,” the organization said.

In addition to designing programs, Kaiser Permanente also engaged its physicians and other staff to volunteer to teach members of underserved communities how to use the prevention and treatment programs available in their communities. Those volunteers have assisted community clinics in treating more than 100,000 low-income patients at high risk for heart attack and stroke by pairing charitable funding with clinical expertise and volunteer physician mentors.

Kaiser Permanente also participates in Operation Access, in which its physicians and other health-care staff volunteer thousands of hours to perform free surgeries for low-income and uninsured people referred to them by community clinics.

Other recipients of the Governor’s awards this year included the Downtown Women’s Center in Los Angeles, Muslims and Jews Inspiring Change and Bank of America.For more information about the awards, and about the California Volunteers office, please visit www.CaliforniaVolunteers.org.


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