Kaiser Permanente Recognized as One of the World’s Most Innovative Companies

Not too long ago I spoke with Chris McCarthy from Kaiser Permanente who runs the Innovation Center and you can read more at the link below. It is a refreshing change compared to what we see in some other areas of healthcare as they invest in not only the technology but are pro-active with anticipating change before it arrives. It’s amazing what can be accomplished without a long string of share holders demanding dividends before healthcare is addressed. Chris McCarthy has to absolutely have one of not only most challenging positions, but also gratifying when you see the hard work put into planning and listening to develop into solutions to improve healthcare.

Innovation and Learning at Kaiser Permanente – Interview With Chris McCarthy

I also found this talk at TED this year to be inspiring along the same lines as it focuses on how to live today beyond bureaucracy and it focuses on power to the people, which is the theme at Kaiser Permanente, empower the patients.

The Next Age of Government from TED – Changing Paradigms With Information Technology

Like any company Kaiser may not always get it right the first time, and I say that going back to their medical records system, but they made changes and worked on it until they got it right as they knew this was the way of the future. I spoke with one of their physicians recently in an interview and Dr. Richards also spoke of how the use of electronic records was helping her in the battle and recognition of obesity with children, by empowering patients.

Kaiser Permanente Pediatrician Patricia Richards Explains How The Use of Electronic Medical Records Enhances Knowledge With Obesity and Adds Focus to the “Let’s Move” Obesity Prevention Campaign

Also in the news today at the Washington Post there was an article about an after hours urgent care center in the Washington DC area that was going to eliminate the after hours urgent care, and a compromise has been reached on their decision, it will not close but will have reduced hours so the residents are not left without a solution. I might think that studies were done to determine where patients are best served an inline with revenue today through the use of business intelligence software, and when it came down to the voice of the consumers in the area they found that the doctor’s clinical time had been evaluated but the community side had not been anticipated, so an agreement was reached and gee, nobody had to go to court, people working and listening to each other, what a novel concept.

There could be a few more in the Washington DC area (big hint) that could give this some thought, the art of collaboration and working together. In today’s world nobody gets it perfect out of the box all the time so change and collaboration is the name of the game and the company is certainly focused in this direction versus what I see and read about with others in the news. Culture as well as technology change is not only spoken here but is also expected and well anticipated. BD

OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente has been honored in Fast Company's annual Most Innovative Companies issue as the fifth Most Innovative Health Care Company in the World for its pioneering electronic health record that is the world's largest civilian electronic health record, and for its health care innovation center that develops the future of health care.

Kaiser Permanente was recognized for its pilot medical data exchange program with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which enables clinicians from VA and Kaiser Permanente to obtain a more comprehensive view of a patient's health using electronic health record information, including information about health issues, medications, and allergies. http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/pressreleases/nat/2010/010610vamedexchangepilot.html

The exchange program centers around Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®, which gives the organization's 14,600 physicians immediate access to a patient's status and medical history, as well as decision support based on evidence-based practice guidelines and the latest medical research. Kaiser Permanente's members easily and conveniently can make and reschedule appointments, check lab results, and send e-mails to care providers via My Health Manager (www.kp.org/myhealthmanager), the online personal health record that connects directly with KP HealthConnect.

Fast Company also recognized Kaiser Permanente for its Sidney R. Garfield Health Care Innovation Center (www.kp.org/innovationcenter), the only setting of its kind that brings together technology, architecture, nurses, doctors and patients with human-centered design thinking and low-fidelity prototyping and design to brainstorm and test tools and programs for patient-centered care in a mock hospital, clinic, office or home environment.