Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Empower Consumers to Take Charge of Their Health Pilot program will allow voluntary data exchange from Kaiser Permanente’s market-leading personal health record to Microsoft® HealthVault™

<p>The competition for being “connected” with personal health records continues. Earlier this year Google made their announcements and this agreement with Kaiser looks to be pretty substantial. The key now is to encourage more consumers to take an interest in their health and establish a PHR to store needed information. Kaiser Permanente, by adding the service <strong>will also give patients the potential to have access and share information with another physician or health facility</strong>, as a simple example, <strong>when having to see or visit a physician or facility that is “out of network”</strong> in case of an emergency or traveling outside the area of coverage, this could make the task a bit easier to accomplish. BD</p> <p><b>REDMOND, Wash., and OAKLAND, Calif. — June 6, 2008 — </b>Executives from Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Corp. will host a joint media teleconference on Monday, June 9, to announce a new strategic relationship. <em><strong>Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Empower Consumers to Take Charge of Their Health</strong></em> <u>Press Release below.</u> </p> <p><strong><i>Pilot program will allow voluntary data exchange from Kaiser Permanente’s market-leading personal health record to Microsoft</i><i>® HealthVault</i><i>™</i></strong></p> <p><i></i></p> <p><i></i></p> <p>OAKLAND, CA and REDMOND, WA (June 9, <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SE1A4ZB3fBI/AAAAAAAAHgU/HPZBxhbUSss/s1600-h/image14.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="42" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SE1A5ZB3fCI/AAAAAAAAHgY/o1Q3HJiZO0I/image_thumb8.png?imgmax=800" style="border-width: 0px;" title="image" width="118" /></a>2008) – Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Corp. announced today that the two companies will pilot health data transfers between Kaiser Permanente’s <strong><a href="http://www.healthvault.com/">My Health Manager and Microsoft’s HealthVault consumer</a></strong> health platform. Pairing two leaders in online health innovation, this pilot program is expected to unveil new strategies for expanding consumer access to online health information and management tools. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SE1A55B3fDI/AAAAAAAAHgc/pQP1UBi9rHo/s1600-h/image13.png"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="39" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SE1A65B3fEI/AAAAAAAAHgg/XcFcCnjyBdg/image_thumb7.png?imgmax=800" style="border-width: 0px;" title="image" width="130" /></a>The pilot program will extend the functionality of the successful <strong><a href="http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/pressreleases/nat/nat_080408_myhealthmgr.html">Kaiser Permanente personal health record, My Health Manager.</a> </strong>Already, My Health Manager’s more than two million users have convenient and easy online access to clinical information and health management tools, including e-mailing your doctor, online prescription refills and appointment scheduling. Connecting My Health Manager to the HealthVault platform will allow users to combine personal health information from Kaiser Permanente and a wide range of other trusted sources, including health and wellness management applications and devices. “Providing new ways to manage their health online is one more way we can engage consumers in their care,” said Anna-Lisa Silvestre Vice President of Online Services at Kaiser Permanente. “We believe that Microsoft HealthVault will be a valuable supplement to our expanding set of online features.”</p> <p><strong>“We’re very pleased to work with Kaiser</strong> to deliver innovative online health services focused on improving the quality of care and the health and wellness of individuals and families,” said Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Health Solutions Group. “As the universe of online health applications and devices continues to grow, people will learn how technology can empower them and their trusted providers to make the most informed decisions about their health and care.”</p> <p><strong>Both Kaiser Permanente’s My Health Manager and Microsoft’s HealthVault<i> </i>adhere to federal standards for data exchange and include advanced safeguards to protect members’ personal information.</strong> HealthVault is built on the principle that people should have a copy of their own health information, have control over it and have the ability to securely and privately share information with whomever they choose. In consultation with consumer privacy experts, Microsoft developed and implemented industry-leading health privacy commitments and stringent privacy principles for health technology partners integrating with HealthVault..</p> <p>HealthVault automatically imports and exports between standards that are meaningful in the health care industry, such as WC3 eXtensible Markup Language (XML), HL7 Continuity of Care Document (CCD), ASTM Continuity of Care Record (CCR.), Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) and Common Connectivity Device.</p> <p>The distinction between Kaiser Permanente’s online health tool and others offered by insurers is the quality and relevance of the information itself: In addition to containing benefits and eligibility information, My Health Manager also is powered by both clinical data entered by physicians, going much deeper than the standard claims-based PHRs on the market. For example, consumers can not only see a record of a test that they had, but also the result of that test and in some cases, direct feedback from their doctors about the result. Since both the patient and physician use the data, consumers are actively using their Kaiser Permanente PHR to communicate with their physician and support their health goals.</p> <p>Kaiser Permanente’s 156,000 employees will be eligible to participate in the pilot program announced today. Participation in the employee pilot is voluntary and is designed to test the ability to transfer data easily and securely, and ensure that the functionality allows easy access to individual personal health information, as well as the ability to manage that data. If the pilot is successful, the program will be expanded to include Kaiser Permanente’s more than eight million members. <b></b></p> <p><b>About Kaiser Permanente </b></p> <p>Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group practice program headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 159,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and 13,000 physicians representing all specialties. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit the KP News Center at: <a href="http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter">http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter</a>.</p> <p><b>About Microsoft </b></p> <p>Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.</p> <p>____________________________________________________________________</p> <p><b>Microsoft and Kaiser Permanente to Hold Joint Conference Call During Health IT Week Monday, June 9, 2008 8–8:30 a.m. PDT/11–11:30 a.m. EDT</b></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>The live teleconference will begin at 8 a.m. PDT. Participants can access the teleconference with the information :<b>Dial-in number:</b> (888) 677-1822 <b>International dial-in number:</b> +1 (210) 234-0029<b>Pass code:</b> Please say either “Kaiser” or “Microsoft” to the operator. For security reasons, the pass code will be required to join the call.<b>Instant replay plus information:</b> Replays are generally available one hour after a call ends.</p> <p><strong>Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of the Health Solutions Group at Microsoft and Lisa Silvestre, vice president of Online Services at Kaiser Permanente</strong> </p> <p><b></b></p> <p><b>Media Contacts: </b>Sybil Wartenberg [Microsoft Contact] Office: (510) 271-6902 Office: (503) 443-7070 Email Sybil.K.Wartenberg@kp.org Email: <a href="mailto:rrt@waggeneredstrom.com">rrt@waggeneredstrom.com</a> </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a0e6d153-e9f1-4b27-9e9e-eab83b4d9ecb" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; float: none;">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HealthVault" rel="tag">HealthVault</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Microsoft+Healthcare" rel="tag">Microsoft Healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medical+Records" rel="tag">Medical Records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Personal+Health+Records" rel="tag">Personal Health Records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Electronic+Medical+Records" rel="tag">Electronic Medical Records</a></div>

Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Empower Consumers to Take Charge of Their Health Pilot program will allow voluntary data exchange from Kaiser Permanente’s market-leading personal health record to Microsoft® HealthVault™

The competition for being “connected” with personal health records continues. Earlier this year Google made their announcements and this ag...

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Kaiser Permanente Launches Mobile Application–KP Locator for the Iphone

<p> This is great since Kaiser is expanding to more states than just California.  With the <img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="154" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_QXofyhzpYY/Ti9SCKM5rXI/AAAAAAAA2Uk/DpmJ8vWybEI/image%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="240" />multiple locations this makes it easy for patients to find them.  This works for Kaiser as they have so many facilities and makes it simple and I wonder when it will be used for additional mobile platforms.  They have a great Innovation Department and last year I spoke with one of their leaders on how they work.   </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/innovation-and-learning-at-kaiser.html"><font size="2">Innovation and Learning at Kaiser Permanente – Interview With Chris McCarthy</font></a></h6> <p>The PHR, the Kaiser personal health record is not mobile yet but up and coming according to the press release.  Until the application is on other mobile platforms <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Swtzh-bsy5I/AAAAAAAAbG4/GpTpFP9U0G0/clip_image001182.gif?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" />there’s always the Google Maps or Bing, like I use on my Windows Phone to find places, but I am sure what I get does not have the full information the mobile program has, but mention it as it is an alternative in case you don’t have an Iphone.  Earlier this year Kaiser opened their facility in Washington DC which is state of the art and a learning center with big touch screen walls too.<strong><em>  I wonder if any of our lawmakers have checked out the center to see what is new and innovative in healthcare since they debate the topic all the time.  BD</em></strong></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/02/kaiser-permanente-opens-state-of-art.html"><font size="2">Kaiser Permanente Opens State of the Art Facility in Washington DC-Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center</font></a></h4> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 372px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:1b514b05-184f-45fc-b01d-ddb77534da10" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="3b6d953d-3ff5-4efe-9ca6-9eba3a2be3c8" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9IrAnftmSU" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('3b6d953d-3ff5-4efe-9ca6-9eba3a2be3c8'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"372\" height=\"226\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/P9IrAnftmSU?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/P9IrAnftmSU?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"372\" height=\"226\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2W97EZfP83U/Ti9SCeXgDGI/AAAAAAAA2Uo/VFd3dk8WVT8/video2b13c6553905%25255B11%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div><div style="width:372px;clear:both;font-size:.8em">Center for Total Health</div></div> <blockquote> <p>OAKLAND, Calif., July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente announced today the launch of its first mobile application, KP Locator. The app, available at no charge through the iPhone App Store, is just one element of Kaiser Permanente's growing mobile strategy, which also includes the optimization of My Health Manager, Kaiser Permanente's integrated personal health record on <a href="http://kp.org/">kp.org</a>, for mobile devices later this year.  </p> <p>The Facility Directory on kp.org is one of Kaiser Permanente's top five online tools with nearly six million visits in 2010. KP Locator combines the power of the robust directory and the iPhone's GPS capabilities to make searching for KP facilities fast and easy for patients on the go. <strong>It answers three of the most basic, but vital, user questions thoroughly and simply – where are the Kaiser Permanente locations close to me, how can I contact and get to them, and what departments and services can I access there? </strong></p> <p><u>Using Google maps, KP Locator has a simple and intuitive interface familiar to iPhone owners. Users can input a city name or ZIP code to find the KP facilities in their area.</u> Search results can be viewed as pins on a map or a list. Users simply tap the desired facility to view address and phone number information and departments and services available there. Users can add the facility to their favorites list to quickly access the information later, add phone numbers to their contact list, and text or email facility information to someone else. By tapping on the "Directions to here" button on the facility information screen, users can get driving, walking or public transportation directions to the facility. Ultimately, the goal is to provide convenient mobile tools that empower patients to manage their health, no matter the device or operating system. </p> <p>"Mobile solutions, like KP Locator and the<u> upcoming mobile-optimized version of My Health Manager, mobile.kp.org, </u>are a natural progression in delivering a high-quality care experience," said Phil Fasano, executive vice president and chief information officer, Kaiser Permanente. "Mobile solutions also address the rising costs of health care by giving members access to routine information and services without staff intervention, making interactions more convenient, personal and effective." </p> <p>The new and future mobile capabilities complement Kaiser Permanente's already significant web presence, providing members with convenient, 24-7 access to their personal health information and to their care teams, and could lead to increased self-management and better health outcomes. Mobile capabilities also allow Kaiser Permanente to engage new member populations that may have a cell phone or other mobile device, but not a home computer.</p> <p><em>"Recent analytics reports show that more than 14 percent of visits to kp.org are from mobile devices and smart phones,"</em> said Christine Paige, senior vice president for marketing and Internet services, Kaiser Permanente. "As mobile devices become more and more affordable, that number will grow. We want our members who have those devices to have easy access to all of the same high-quality online tools on their mobile devices as they have from standard computers."    </p> <p>Kaiser Permanente members, from healthy, young adults to Medicare beneficiaries, have enjoyed online access to their lab test results, medications and other important health information since 2007. More than 3.5 million members have signed up to access My Health Manager, which received more than 62 million logins in 2010. The secure personal health record also allows members to order prescription refills and message their doctors, often saving them the inconvenience of having to go to a physician's office or wait on hold to speak with a clinician on the phone. </p> <p>Kaiser Permanente is known for its leadership in the use of health information technology (health IT) and its groundbreaking electronic health record, Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect^®, which is the largest private EHR in the world. KP HealthConnect enables all of Kaiser Permanente's more than 15,000 physicians to electronically access the medical records of all 8.8 million Kaiser Permanente members nationwide and serves as a model for other systems. The health care provider has received numerous awards for its health IT expertise including 35 HIMSS Stage 7 Awards, more than any other health care organization.  </p> <p>You can learn more about how patients, clinicians and researchers are using My Health Manager and KP HealthConnect by checking out Kaiser Permanente's YouTube channel: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/kaiserpermanenteorg">http://www.youtube.com/user/kaiserpermanenteorg</a>.</p> <p><u><b>About Kaiser Permanente</b></u><u> </u></p> <p>Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.8 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: <a href="http://www.kp.org/newscenter/">www.kp.org/newscenter.</a></p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kaiser-permanente-launches-mobile-app-to-make-finding-care-facilities-easy-and-convenient-126168923.html">Kaiser Permanente Launches Mobile App to Make Finding Care Facilities Easy and... -- OAKLAND, Calif., July 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e13e5e96-06c7-4fec-9309-03128bed664f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/standards" rel="tag">standards</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/computers" rel="tag">computers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/diagnosis" rel="tag">diagnosis</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/procedures" rel="tag">procedures</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/iPhone" rel="tag">iPhone</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mHealth" rel="tag">mHealth</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/mobile+apps" rel="tag">mobile apps</a></div>

Kaiser Permanente Launches Mobile Application–KP Locator for the Iphone

This is great since Kaiser is expanding to more states than just California.  With the multiple locations this makes it easy for patients t...

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Kaiser Permanente Opens State of the Art Facility in Washington DC-Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center

<p>This is good as now innovation becomes a little more visible where all the laws are made.  The center is fully wired and of course patients will have their own PHR just <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TKDme__9fpI/AAAAAAAAhq8/g8BVsThz4Qs/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" />be using the facility as that’s the way Kaiser works with patients with both face to face and technology communications between doctors and patients.  It’s a very good deal.  </p> <p>If you read here often enough I have some past interviews with Kaiser Permanente doctors and one in particular was done a while back with a pediatrician who <img align="right" border="0" height="167" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S33NzLBb1uI/AAAAAAAAcnA/UTO6OgnWYF8/image_thumb17.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="230" />practices in the Washington DC area with Kaiser.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/02/kaiser-permanente-pediatrician-patricia.html"><font size="2">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</font></a></h6> <p>Also what I found interesting was my interview with Chris McCarthy of their “Garfield” innovation center in Oakland.  He clearly has a great job with not only creating solutions, but also being the open ear<img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Swtzh-bsy5I/AAAAAAAAbG4/GpTpFP9U0G0/clip_image001182.gif?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-right-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /> to communicate with clinicians and other personnel at Kaiser to find solutions for those situations that arise with new technologies and procedures.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/innovation-and-learning-at-kaiser.html"><font size="2">Innovation and Learning at Kaiser Permanente – Interview With Chris McCarthy</font></a></h6> <p>Most consumers I have spoken with in the last few years have been pretty well satisfied with Kaiser and having the new avenues of communication and the PHR is one area that seems to always be mentioned as it makes it easy to log on and get lab results too.  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><i><a href="http://www.prlog.org">PRLog (Press Release)</a></i> – <i>Jan 31, 2011</i> – (ROCKVILLE, Md.) - - - Kaiser Permanente, a leading not-for-profit health plan and care provider, opened the doors to its new medical facility on January 24, 2011, bringing health care innovation directly to the front door of Capitol Hill.  The Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center offers members state-of-the-art health care and maximum convenience.   <br />“We’re confident that all of our members who use the Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center, both those who live in D.C. and those who come in to the city to work, will enjoy the convenience and comfort that the new facility will bring,” said Marilyn Kawamura, President, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States. “It will be a cornerstone of health for the community, and a hallmark for customer service and quality care.”</p> <p>Located at 700 Second Street, Northeast, in the Station Place complex, with 79 provider offices staffed by approximately 400 employees and physicians, the new Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center boasts primary care, specialty care, full-service imaging, laboratory, pharmacy services, and 24/7 urgent care services — all supported by industry-leading technology and information systems.  The medical center is equipped with digital signage technology — video walls — that enhances the member experience while reinforcing preventive care resources. </p> <p>The Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center is a component in Kaiser Permanente’s plans for expansion throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.  Kaiser Permanente is increasingly investing in the communities it serves to offer its unique model of delivery.  Kaiser Permanente’s model is built on the foundations of high-quality, committed physicians, integration of services — i.e., the close collaboration of primary and specialty care — an emphasis on prevention and wellness, and patient participation in managing their own health care. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.prlog.org/11264010-kaiser-permanente-opens-new-medical-center-on-capitol-hill.html">Kaiser Permanente Opens New Medical Center on Capitol Hill</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:2a524504-6b91-41f2-b3e4-c9431e590aa6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/standards" rel="tag">standards</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/computers" rel="tag">computers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/SnoMed" rel="tag">SnoMed</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/diagnosis" rel="tag">diagnosis</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/procedures" rel="tag">procedures</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Washingtton+DC" rel="tag">Washingtton DC</a></div>

Kaiser Permanente Opens State of the Art Facility in Washington DC-Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center

This is good as now innovation becomes a little more visible where all the laws are made.  The center is fully wired and of course patients ...

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Eight Southern California hospitals sue Kaiser

<p> Hospitals suing hospitals once more...back in <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2007/09/kaiser-sued-by-other-hospitals-over.html">September Tenet hospitals filed suit against Kaiser</a> and now Prime Healthcare has also filed suit....alleges Kaiser has not paid Prime  hospitals for providing services to Kaiser HMO members when out of network...somewhat hazy here as the article states they owe $25 million, yet the foundation <a href="http://sacramento.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/02/11/daily39.html">just handed out $29 million in grants?</a>  BD</p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/gen/Kaiser_Permanente_04EEA5F816FA49ED8D3B5BDAA2DDB11E.html"><strong><a href="http://lh6.google.com/DucknetServices/R7O2HWlNDTI/AAAAAAAAC8c/i-A5igyyrd4/image%5B3%5D?imgmax=800"><img align="left" alt="image" border="0" height="112" src="http://lh5.google.com/DucknetServices/R7O2IGlNDUI/AAAAAAAAC8k/u-Slvqq_18k/image_thumb%5B1%5D?imgmax=800" style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" width="156"></a>Kaiser Permanente</strong></a> is being sued in four Southern California counties by a company seeking more than $25 million in connection with payment for emergency services provided to Kaiser health maintenance organization patients.  <p>Prime Healthcare Services, a for-profit chain of hospitals based in Chino, said Wednesday that eight of its hospitals filed suits in state courts Jan. 23 against Oakland-based Kaiser for its failure to reimburse them for emergency services provided to Kaiser members. <p>Prime Healthcare also said that doctors in Kaiser's Emergency Provider Response Program, staffed by the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, pressure providers at hospitals that do not contract with Kaiser to declare a patient "stable" so that the patient might be transferred back more quickly under Kaiser's care.</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2008/02/11/daily38.html">Eight Southern California hospitals sue Kaiser - Sacramento Business Journal:</a> </p> <p>Since 2001 more than 17 hospitals throughout Southern California have closed due to financial constraints and several others were forced to file bankruptcy.In contrast to financially distressed hospitals, Kaiser reported profits of <strong>$1.3 Billion in 2006 and $2.5 Billion in 2007</strong>. This is not surprising given that although insurance premiums have increased;<strong> the amount of revenue spent on patient care has remained the same or decreased.</strong></p> <p>According to Dr. Prem Reddy, a board certified Cardiologist and<strong> Chairman of Prime Healthcare</strong> Services, "HMOs, including Kaiser, ought to be focused on effectively managing patients' care; but unfortunately, they are focused on managing bills".  <strong>Kaiser's profits are even greater than other for-profit HMOs because it is not required to pay taxes on a single penny of its earnings as it enjoys the status of being a non-profit entity.</strong> The only real difference between Kaiser and other for-profit health plans is that Kaiser is not required to pay taxes.</p> <p>Even though Kaiser is a non-profit entity, it provides very little, if any, charity care at the hospitals it owns and the emergency departments in these hospitals see very few Medi-Cal patients and uninsured patients. In contrast to Kaiser's hospitals, Prime Healthcare's hospitals consistently provide millions of dollars in charity care every year which, in almost all cases, exceed the amount of charity care provided by other neighbor hospitals including non-profits.  Prime Healthcare believes that many other community hospitals are similarly concerned with this dilemma as to how to deal with this proverbial 800-pound gorilla that endangers their survival</p> <p>Related story:  <a href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/article/southern-california-hospital-sues-kaiser-permanente-managing-bills-managing_477349_1.html">http://www.foxbusiness.com/article/southern-california-hospital-sues-kaiser-permanente-managing-bills-managing_477349_1.html</a></p>

Eight Southern California hospitals sue Kaiser

Hospitals suing hospitals once more...back in September Tenet hospitals filed suit against Kaiser and now Prime Healthcare has also filed ...

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Kaiser to cut 860 Health IT positions

<p> In this case, even the Health IT workers are not safe from job cuts with a newly announced agreement with IBM to handle what was done in house. Outside the IBM contract, 160 more workers were already notified<img align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SE1A65B3fEI/AAAAAAAAHgg/XcFcCnjyBdg/image_thumb7.png?imgmax=800" />, which was a cut back to save money.  </p> <p>In this related story, Kaiser is also using a number of temporary doctors to fill in, which costs less than an employee, but they are not alone in this effort.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/03/medical-migrants-locum-tenens.html">Medical migrants - “locum tenens” Healthcare on Temporary Assignment</a></h4> <p>In the 4th quarter, the <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/02/kaiser-foundation-loses-794-million-in.html">Kaiser Foundation lost 794 million</a> last year, related to today’s current economy.  Add in a little <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/05/kaiser-permanente-members-targeted-in.html">balance billing activity</a> and all the legal expenses that go along with it and things get tough.  I wonder how much hospitals and other health agencies spend a year with battles of such?  </p> <p>The article said some employees could apply with IBM, but no mention of which area of IBM will be assuming the contract and if the division is located in the US.  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/related_content.html?topic=Kaiser%20Permanente">Kaiser Permanente</a> will eliminate 860 information technology jobs over the next six months, following a $500 million strategic agreement with IBM Corp. and related changes announced Monday.</p> <p>“Only one or two” — if any — jobs will be eliminated in the Sacramento region, which does not have a Kaiser data center, said Phil Fasano, Kaiser’s chief information officer.</p> <p>Kaiser and IBM (NYSE: IBM) signed a seven-year agreement March 13 to work together to improve Kaiser’s information technology capabilities. The deal focuses on Kaiser data centers that manage company computers and data backups to ensure they are reliable and ready for use, Fasano said.</p> <p><strong>In a separate but related move, Kaiser will eliminate 160 additional positions at more than 30 locations across its eight regions as part of a cost-saving effort</strong> to realign its information technology functions. Most of these employees were notified Monday.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/stories/2009/03/16/daily15.html">Kaiser to cut 860 IT positions - Sacramento Business Journal:</a></p> <p><strong><u>Related Reading:</u></strong></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/02/kaiser-foundation-loses-794-million-in.html"><font size="1">Kaiser Foundation loses $794 million in 2008 – Investments and the Economy slated for the downturn</font></a></h4> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/09/kaiser-permanente-will-donate-5-million.html">Kaiser Permanente will donate $5 million to Grady Memorial Hospital - more desperate hospitals</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/10/kaiser-permanente-has-most-hospitals-in.html">Kaiser Permanente Has Most Hospitals in Nation With Inpatient Electronic Health Record</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/09/kaiser-permanente-and-veterans-affairs.html">Kaiser Permanente And Veterans Affairs Preview Electronic Health Record Interoperability</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/06/kaiser-launches-kiosk-project-in.html">Kaiser launches kiosk project in Southern California</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/08/kaiser-and-stanford-get-389m-to-study.html">Kaiser and Stanford get $3.89M to study heart disease with linked medical records – California</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/02/eight-southern-california-hospitals-sue.html">Eight Southern California hospitals sue Kaiser</a></h6> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/12/kaiser-finds-some-low-tech-solutions.html"><font size="1">Kaiser finds some low tech solutions along with high tech..</font></a></h4> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:ad2bce22-21bd-421a-8ea3-3e2c33da9f0c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/layoffs" rel="tag">layoffs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Outsourcing" rel="tag">Outsourcing</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/IBM" rel="tag">IBM</a></div>

Kaiser to cut 860 Health IT positions

In this case, even the Health IT workers are not safe from job cuts with a newly announced agreement with IBM to handle what was done in ho...

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Kaiser Permanente Receives $54 Million in Grants from NIH– Genomics, Cancer Research and More Using Patient Electronic Medical Records

<p>100,000 Kaiser Permanente members will have some format of genomic sequencing performed, the article doesn’t state whether this is a whole or <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SsYxJBZ2HKI/AAAAAAAAaP8/jMZ-xtug4Yk/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="66" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SsYxJ4RUuGI/AAAAAAAAaQA/KW3QOmIB1qw/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" title="image" width="220" /></a>partial interpretation but it is all good.  At the base of all the research and grants is their electronic medical records system.  Again, going back a few years I remember very well the ups and downs of this project, not to mention the critics saying it was not going to fly, but they were wrong on this one as it flying very well.</p> <p><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/09/how-kaiser-permanente-does-medical.html">How Kaiser Permanente Does Medical Records</a></p> <p>Just last week I posted about their <a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/hit-kp-healthconnect-from-kaiser.html">heart attack and stroke study</a>, again based on using the information in their electronic medical records on stroke prevention and better overall cardiac care.  The key is all about information and the algorithms that lead us to better healthcare.  This is great that we can actually see some numbers with treatment plans relative to drugs prescribed based on real patients, which is what we all are.  </p> <p>I would really like to see some numbers run on HRT if it becomes available someday too, big question on my mind that I ponder and so do many more is if HRT with bio identical formulas are safer than the Premarin drugs?  So far nobody has really created any real comparison and this is something I know many other women would like to see compared, the number of women who developed breast cancer compared, Premarin versus those treated with FDA approved bio identical treatments, such as the patches.  Perhaps we can look to Kaiser for some numbers down the road as it appears they have the potential information with medical records to maybe dig in to this one day.  BD</p> <blockquote> <p><strong><u>Press Release:</u></strong></p> <p>OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ --<i> </i>As part of the $5 billion in grants announced by President Obama, the National Institutes of Health has granted Kaiser Permanente more than $54 million over two years through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to conduct health research on a multitude of critical public and clinical health areas. The bulk of this research will utilize and leverage Kaiser <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:dcaf8d7c-732e-4c31-bf3a-eded0fb1a9d8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="6d65c098-3677-4ac8-b987-20fad88b8b1f" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOcIWo6Hdfg&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('6d65c098-3677-4ac8-b987-20fad88b8b1f'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"264\" height=\"198\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/oOcIWo6Hdfg&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/oOcIWo6Hdfg&rel=0&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&feature=player_profilepage&fs=1&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"264\" height=\"198\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/StPjPCYF4NI/AAAAAAAAaZg/Z6hHHhZij8A/video52183ca798de%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div></div> Permanente's electronic health records, the world's largest civilian electronic health record database.</p> <p>"Kaiser Permanente is proud to be part of what President Obama called the 'single largest boost to biomedical research in history.' It's our mission to find answers to medicine's complex questions so that everyone can have better care," said Raymond J. Baxter, Ph.D., senior vice president, Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy. "Health research is foundational to reforming the way we deliver care. Such evidence-based innovation is core to Kaiser Permanente's commitment to improving care delivery and enhancing quality outcomes, two fundamental goals of the current health care reform debate."</p> <p>The NIH has awarded 22 grants to Kaiser Permanente researchers in various regional centers, including a $25 million Grand Opportunities (GO) grant to conduct genotyping on 100,000 Kaiser Permanente members participating in the Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health, the largest population-based bio-bank in the United States. The RPGEH is based at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif.</p> <p>This genetic information will be linked to data on participants from RPGEH health surveys, disease registries and Kaiser Permanente's vast electronic health record database, resulting in a resource that will allow researchers to examine genetic and environmental influences on a wide variety of health conditions. The genotyping accomplished in collaboration with the University of California, San Francisco will roughly double the number of individuals in the United States available to researchers for genome-wide association studies. </p> <p>A separate NIH GO grant of nearly $4 million was awarded to the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., to study personalized medicine and genomic tests for colon cancer. Researchers will use the grant money to evaluate two tests, one that determines whether colon cancer patients will respond to a commonly prescribed drug and another that tests for a genetic mutation that dramatically increases the chance of developing colon cancer. </p> <p>Also awarded was a $7.2 million GO grant to develop a cardiovascular surveillance system for the Cardiovascular Research Network (a collaborative of 14 different health plans across the U.S. with approximately 11 million health maintenance organization members) and $3.3 million GO grant to create a National Research Database that will organize and leverage Kaiser Permanente's electronic health records.</p> <p>Other NIH grants include research and the building of resources aimed at better understanding the causes and treatment of autism, autoimmune disease, breast cancer, chronic diseases, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, obesity, and successful aging; improving treatment for HIV-infected patients; better understanding the medical care burden of cancer; and improving post-acute care and rehabilitation for stroke patients. Other grants also will be used to study how to use natural language processing to more accurately extract data from the electronic medical record. </p> <p>"We have a unique opportunity in front of us right now to transform and reform the way we deliver health care in this country," said John H. Cochran, MD, executive director of The Permanente Federation. "Kaiser Permanente believes that through evidence-based research and health information technology we can change how personalized health care is delivered."</p> <p>Details of the 22 grants are outlined on the next page. </p> <p>The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides an unprecedented level of funding ($8.2 billion in extramural funding) to the NIH to help stimulate the U.S. economy through the support and advancement of scientific research. While NIH Institutes and Centers have broad flexibility to invest in many types of grant programs, they will follow the spirit of the ARRA by funding projects that will stimulate the economy, create or retain jobs, and have the potential for making scientific progress in two years.</p> <p>The National Institutes of Health - the nation's Medical Research Agency - includes 27 institutes and centers as a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary funding agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit <a href="http://www.nih.gov/"><u>www.nih.gov</u></a>.</p> <p><b><i>About Kaiser Permanente</i></b></p> <p><i>Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: </i><a href="http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/"><u><i>www.kp.org/newscenter</i></u></a><i>. </i></p> <p><b>APPENDIX of 22 NIH / ARRA GRANTS</b></p> <p>What follows is a brief description of each grant, broken down by Kaiser Permanente region. The numbers below reflect expected funding amounts over a two-year period, and may be subject to change.</p> <p><u><b>Kaiser Permanente - Northern California Division of Research</b></u></p> <ul> <li>$24,846,000 GO grant to conduct genotyping on 100,000 Kaiser Permanente members who are participating in the Research Program on Genes, Environment and Health, the largest population-based bio-bank in the United States, based at the Division of Research in Oakland, Calif. </li> <li>$7,217,106 GO grant to develop a surveillance system for cardiovascular disease in the Cardiovascular Research Network. </li> <li>$3,362,771 GO grant to create National Research Database that will organize and leverage Kaiser Permanente's electronic health records on nearly 30 million current and past members in eight regions of the country. </li> <li>$4,971,981 GO grant to study contemporary treatment and outcomes for atrial fibrillation in clinical practice. </li> <li>$945,372 to study breast cancer survivorship. </li> <li>$1,005,372 to extend and integrate the Kaiser Permanente electronic medical record to measure rehabilitation outcomes for stroke patients. </li> <li>$999,852 to study the management and outcomes of heart failure. </li> <li>$980,000 to study the effectiveness of immediate versus delayed use of metformin in new-onset of type-2 diabetes. </li> <li>$999,370 to establish the Kaiser Permanente Autoimmune Disease Registry. </li> <li>$997,453 to study the cost effectiveness of hormonal therapy for clinically localized prostate cancer. </li> <li>$402,527 to extend an investigation of biologic markers for autism. </li> <li>$496,680 to improve understanding of the behavioral and social factors that impact adherence to diabetes care. </li> <li>$441,521 to better understand how comprehensive HIV services provided by a multidisciplinary care team may influence how well patients follow treatment recommendations. </li> <li>$102,277 to study the epidemiology, care and outcomes of patients with chronic renal insufficiency. </li> <li>$92,772 to study lactation and glucose tolerance after a pregnancy with gestational diabetes. </li> </ul> <p><u><b>Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research - Northwest</b></u></p> <ul> <li>$3,925,824 for comparative effectiveness research in genomic and personalized medicine for colon cancer. </li> <li>$996,603 to analyze five years of follow-up of data from a weight loss maintenance trial. </li> <li>$343,694 to compare the costs of cancer diagnosis and treatment in managed care vs fee-for-services systems. </li> <li>$316,000 to study what factors predict successful aging in elderly women. </li> <li>$99,971 to study how to use natural language processing to more accurately extract data from the electronic medical record. </li> </ul> <p><u><b>Kaiser Permanente - Colorado Institute for Health Research </b></u></p> <ul> <li>$184,501 for the Clinical Communication Research Center. </li> </ul> <p><u><b>Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research - Georgia</b></u></p> <ul> <li>$339,604 to study how psychosocial stress decreases patient adherence to recommended care which may increase the risk of poor metabolic control and subsequent onset of chronic disease and obesity. </li> </ul> <p>SOURCE Kaiser Permanente</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://in.sys-con.com/node/1140493">National Institutes of Health Awards More Than $54 Million to Kaiser Permanente to Conduct Health Research | SYS-CON INDIA</a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:8af94aac-20dc-42cf-928b-e91abacae7a8" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/heart+disease" rel="tag">heart disease</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/study" rel="tag">study</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/strokes" rel="tag">strokes</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/statins" rel="tag">statins</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EMR" rel="tag">EMR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/electronic+medical+records" rel="tag">electronic medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/clinical+outcomes" rel="tag">clinical outcomes</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/heart+attack" rel="tag">heart attack</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/NIH" rel="tag">NIH</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/grants" rel="tag">grants</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/genomics" rel="tag">genomics</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a></div>

Kaiser Permanente Receives $54 Million in Grants from NIH– Genomics, Cancer Research and More Using Patient Electronic Medical Records

100,000 Kaiser Permanente members will have some format of genomic sequencing performed, the article doesn’t state whether this is a whole o...

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Kaiser Permanente Opens New South Los Angeles Medical Center With “Green” Incorporated Technologies

<p>I can’t think of a needier area for medical care as we have all read some of the <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TZelMcm_GxI/AAAAAAAAuig/XF-ml4xKFUs/s1600-h/image%5B4%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="163" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TZelM39K6YI/AAAAAAAAuik/GNW-IHRyA_c/image_thumb%5B2%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="image" width="228" /></a>news about the closing of the hospital, MLK, in recent years.  Residents will have a bran new clinic, and a quality care facility to go to.  You can read through the press release that “green” was the theme with building the new center.  </p> <p>As with every other Kaiser facility, patients will have access to their medical records and be able to communicate electronically with their doctors and be able to get lab results on line, etc.  Also worth reading about is how they are going to install the energy saving “Bloom Boxes” at their hospitals, such as<img align="right" border="0" height="104" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TToQxpr1OYI/AAAAAAAApEk/ZnusjcF2Q2k/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: right; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="111" /> EBay, Google and others have already done.  Don’t know what a Bloom Box is?  Use the link below to watch the video that will explain.  BD  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2011/01/kaiser-permanente-to-install-bloom-box.html"><font size="2">Kaiser Permanente to Install Bloom Box Fuel Cells at California Facilities</font></a></h4> <blockquote> <p><strong><u>Press Release:</u></strong></p> <p>LOS ANGELES--(<a href="http://www.businesswire.com/">BUSINESS WIRE</a>)--Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined other local community leaders including Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Los Angeles City Councilmembers Bernard C. Parks and Jan Perry to celebrate the opening of the <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=https%3A%2F%2Fhealth.kaiserpermanente.org%2Fwps%2Fportal%2Ffacility%2F300389&esheet=6668037&lan=en-US&anchor=Kaiser+Permanente+South+Los+Angeles+Medical+Offices&index=1&md5=9c0b5e00a736015a6ea1e6df622f4685">Kaiser Permanente South Los Angeles Medical Offices</a>. The new facility, at the intersection of Manchester and Denker, will serve more than 80,000 Kaiser Permanente members who live in the South Los Angeles area. </p> <p>“The opening of the new Kaiser Permanente South Los Angeles Medical Office Building is one example of ways we can address the need for quality health care in the South Los Angeles community,” said Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. </p> <p>“The new facility is especially meaningful for South Los Angeles residents like Elmae Robinson, the 81-year-old mother of one of my staff members, who has been a Kaiser Permanente member for more than 30 years and is thrilled to now have her doctors and all of these services just down the street.” </p> <p>The new 15,000 square foot facility represents a $10 million investment in South Los Angeles. Kaiser Permanente members throughout the area will be able to get primary care, X-rays, lab tests and pick-up prescriptions – all in one convenient location closer to home. </p> <p>Kaiser Permanente has a long history of serving members who reside in South Los Angeles and supporting clinics, grassroots organizations and schools in the area with more than $8 million in grants and services to South Los Angeles organizations. Kaiser Permanente's Watts Counseling and Learning Center has offered counseling and education services to community members since 1967. </p> <p>“Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to improving the health of people living and working in the communities we serve,” said <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fxnet.kp.org%2Fnewscenter%2Faboutkp%2Fbios%2Fcalifornia%2Fchu.html&esheet=6668037&lan=en-US&anchor=Benjamin+K.+Chu%2C+MD%2C+MPH&index=2&md5=d204f40962ec3fe2c2acde91c72e78e3">Benjamin K. Chu, MD, MPH</a>, president of Kaiser Permanente Southern California. “With the opening of the Kaiser Permanente South Los Angeles Medical Offices, we reinforce our commitment to South Los Angeles, which we have been serving for the past 60 years. We will continue to invest in organizations and resources that help make South Los Angeles a healthier place.” </p> <p>Kaiser Permanente members who visit the Kaiser Permanente South Los Angeles medical offices will have access to Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect™, their electronic health record, giving them quick access to their personal health information. </p> <p>Recognizing the link between the health of the environment and the health of people, the new medical office building incorporates many elements of environmentally friendly design including a “cool roof” to cut energy use; landscaping with native plants to lower water use; PVC-free carpeting and materials with lower toxin emissions; and safer cleaning products that help ensure everyone’s health. </p> <p>“Through our advanced technology, our physicians will be able to coordinate care with every other physician, pharmacist, and specialist that is treating our members,” said Tumani Leatherwood, MD, physician in charge for Kaiser Permanente’s South Los Angeles Medical Offices. "With our electronic health records, expert physicians and staff all in place, we look forward to welcoming our members to our new South Los Angeles Medical Offices.” </p> <p>The South Los Angeles Medical Office Building will begin providing services to members on Monday, April 11. </p> <p><b>About Kaiser Permanente</b></p> <p>Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 3.3 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: <a href="http://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kp.org%2Fnewscenter&esheet=6668037&lan=en-US&anchor=www.kp.org%2Fnewscenter&index=3&md5=c55f212c52b717e3a024f91f2f293d58">www.kp.org/newscenter</a>. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110401005198/en/South-Los-Angeles-Welcomes-Medical-Office-Building">South Los Angeles Welcomes New Medical Office Building | Business Wire</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:998507fa-bea2-4010-b0f9-540db4952b1a" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+centers" rel="tag">medical centers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/South+Los+Angeles" rel="tag">South Los Angeles</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/non+profits" rel="tag">non profits</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/labs" rel="tag">labs</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Los+Angeles" rel="tag">Los Angeles</a></div>

Kaiser Permanente Opens New South Los Angeles Medical Center With “Green” Incorporated Technologies

I can’t think of a needier area for medical care as we have all read some of the news about the closing of the hospital, MLK, in recent year...

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Kaiser Permanente Nurses Protesting Cuts In Care & Rise Of Policy Premiums While $21 Billion Dollar Reserve Fund Continues To Grow

<p>That’s a lot of money for a non profit to sit on you have to say.  If you read the figures below is way above what’s regulated by the state of California.  The nurses state they struggle to get the care the patients need mostly over what the insurance<img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="169" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VB7_ZF8CHCk/U2xt3wMcnII/AAAAAAABKOk/-kk4NpclEmA/image%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: right; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px" title="image" width="268" /> portion will pay rather than what is the best care for the patients.  Kaiser in their portion of the battle has given over $7 million to fight against insurance rate regulations in California.  Kaiser has also been hiking rates for insurance policies as well for consumers.  Last year in southern California the company laid off quite a few employees. </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2012/11/kaiser-permanente-laying-off-530.html">Kaiser Permanente Laying Off 530 Employees in Southern California</a></h5> <p>Nurses complain about blocking admissions and using the “observation status” to keep admissions down and state patients are sent home too quickly at times.  A former oncologist with Kaiser is suing the for $7 million claiming she had to quite her job after complaining the company was maximizing profits instead of helping cancer patients.  The oncologist states the when the group hired a new president and medical director, that’s when things went south.  She said doctors they were also understaffed and patients were struggling to schedule appointments at the Kaiser Northwest facility.  </p> <p>She left in April 2013, because of her oath to do no harm and her belief that Kaiser policies were "making patients suffer”.  Kaiser is also looking at expanding in Colorado in the mountain areas.  Last year Kaiser sold their Ohio operations as they were not making any money there so you can see even with a huge reserve it appears nobody is going to get carried.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2013/05/kaiser-permanente-working-on-deal-to.html">Kaiser Permanente Working On Deal to Sell Their Ohio Operations to Catholic Health Partners–Not Making Any Money Here</a></h5> <p>Recent it was in the news that Kaiser is using a lot more mHealth functionality but the report did say doctors times had to be adjusted to allow them to take care of their “desktop medicine”.  </p> <h5><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2014/03/kaiser-permanente-study-with-mhealth.html">Kaiser Permanente Study With mHealth Efforts Yields Better Communication and Care But Physician Schedules Had To Be Revised To Give Them Time for Their “Desktop Medicine”, So You Can Forget Half of What You Read Out When The Big Billions In Savings Are Predicted…</a></h5> <p>Again that is a lot of money sitting in reserves and you can’t blame the nurses for bringing this up if patient care is suffering or if they are indeed short staffed and of course the premiums rate increases for the insured is right up there too.  $7.1 million…hmmm..how much patient care would that buy?  BD  </p> <p> <hr />OAKLAND, Calif., May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente registered nurses and consumer advocates today revealed how the HMO giant has accumulated a reserve that is $21.7 billion 1626 percent more than required by the state, while cutting patient care services and raising premiums on consumers.</p> <p>The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, California's largest nurses organization, also announced its endorsement of a measure that will appear on this November's ballot to regulate health insurance rates in California. The initiative can force refunds to consumers based on such excessive amounts held in reserve.</p> <p>"Kaiser has given more than $7.1 million against rate regulation because it wants to continue overcharging customers," said Jamie Court, proponent of the ballot measure and president of Consumer Watchdog.</p> <p>Kaiser Oakland RN Katy Roemer decried Kaiser's recent rate hikes, which cost small group policyholders $18 million, and individuals $59 million, while cutting patient services."Kaiser nurses cannot stand by quietly while Kaiser is hiking rates, cutting care and accumulating vast reserves and using patient care dollars to defeat an initiative that begins to bring some accountability into high prices that insurers impose on patients and families," said Roemer.</p> <p><a href="http://business.itbusinessnet.com/article/California-nurses-consumers-protest-Kaiser-Permanentes-cuts-in-care-while-sitting-on-21-billion-reserve-fund-3239772">http://business.itbusinessnet.com/article/California-nurses-consumers-protest-Kaiser-Permanentes-cuts-in-care-while-sitting-on-21-billion-reserve-fund-3239772</a></p>

Kaiser Permanente Nurses Protesting Cuts In Care & Rise Of Policy Premiums While $21 Billion Dollar Reserve Fund Continues To Grow

That’s a lot of money for a non profit to sit on you have to say.  If you read the figures below is way above what’s regulated by the state ...

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Kaiser Permanente Has Most Hospitals in Nation With Inpatient Electronic Health Record

<p> Other hospital systems are working to catch up.  Just in the news recently was the pilot exchange of information between the VA and <img align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SE1A65B3fEI/AAAAAAAAHgg/XcFcCnjyBdg/image_thumb7.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" />Kaiser.  <strong>Also the PHR, personal health records, from HealthVault</strong> will be due to come on line soon, so patients will be able to transfer the information to their established accounts.  I could this this would be very handy when a patient needs to see a physician out of network as all his/her records could be available on the web with the HealthVault, imported from the Kaiser My Health Manager site. Kaiser has 4 times the amount of patients using the online records.</p> <p>When you look at the stats below, 3.6 million emails, quite a number and I would guess you can get an email response from your physician at Kaiser.   </p> <p><a href="http://www.healthvault.com/"><img align="left" height="44" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SM3q6TdZm-I/AAAAAAAAI90/u04OgRqDvPI/image[14].png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" width="106" /></a>Also, using the HealthVault can make it easier to get a copy of the records back to the Primary Care MD at Kaiser as well when returning.  I just added the fax feature to my account so that anyone even without technology can fax and send medical records to my account.  BD</p> <blockquote> <p>OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente announced today another milestone achievement in health   information technology, bringing the convenient and potentially life-saving technology of electronic health records to 22 hospitals serving 4.8 million members, the most hospitals using electronic medical records of any civilian hospital system in the nation. The latest count results from full inpatient implementation of Kaiser Permanente's EHR, KP HealthConnect(TM), in 12 Southern California hospitals. All of the region's 3.3 million members are covered by an end-to-end electronic health records.</p> <p><strong>With KP HealthConnect,</strong> virtually all Kaiser Permanente members areroutinely treated with an electronic chart in the outpatient setting. KaiserPermanente's 8.7 million members have access to My Health Manager(<a href="http://www.kp.org/myhealthmanager">http://www.kp.org/myhealthmanager</a>) -- Kaiser Permanente's personal healthrecord -- where they can manage their health online. Patients are empowered,with My Health Manager (<a href="http://www.kp.org/myhealthmanager">http://www.kp.org/myhealthmanager</a>) providing criticaltime-saving features, including online appointment scheduling and prescriptionrefills. In addition, users have 24/7 online access to lab test results,eligibility and benefits information, and even their children's immunizationrecords.</p> <p><strong>Kaiser Permanente not only makes the tools available, but provides the outreach and education needed to encourage its members to fully use these</strong>cutting-edge services. New online tools, such as single visit activation and a revamped welcome page at kp.org have made patient access to online healthtools both easy and secure. The results of these and other efforts are alreadyevident.</p> <h6>-- More than 2.4 million Kaiser Permanente members now have access tosecure health information management features, an 11.9 percent increase fromthe prior year.</h6> <h6>-- <u>Using My Health Manager, Kaiser Permanente members viewed more than 10million test results and sent more than 3.6 million emails to their physiciansin 2007 alone.</u></h6> <h6>-- The California Department of Insurance recently reported <u>that KaiserPermanente, compared to its competitors, has more than four times thepercentage of members using its personal health record, My Health Manager</u></h6> <p><u><strong>Related Reading:</strong></u></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/09/kaiser-permanente-and-veterans-affairs.html">Kaiser Permanente And Veterans Affairs Preview Electronic Health Record Interoperability</a></h4> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/06/kaiser-launches-kiosk-project-in.html">Kaiser launches kiosk project in Southern California</a></h4> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/06/kaiser-permanente-and-microsoft-empower.html">Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Empower Consumers to Take Charge of Their Health Pilot program will allow voluntary data exchange from Kaiser Permanente’s market-leading personal health record to Microsoft® HealthVault™</a></h4> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/08/hospital-subsidies-are-off-to-slow.html">Hospital Subsidies Are Off to a Slow Start with Electronic Health Records</a></h4> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/kaiser-permanente-has-most-hospitals,588558.shtml">Kaiser Permanente Has Most Hospitals in Nation With Inpatient Electronic Health Record</a></p> <div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:edad1ebe-b44d-4703-9f80-04049f857f10" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medical+Records" rel="tag">Medical Records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/VA" rel="tag">VA</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/pilot+program" rel="tag">pilot program</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Microsoft" rel="tag">Microsoft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HL7" rel="tag">HL7</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/KP+Health+Connect" rel="tag">KP Health Connect</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospitals" rel="tag">hospitals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/physicians" rel="tag">physicians</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/patients" rel="tag">patients</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/technology" rel="tag">technology</a></div>

Kaiser Permanente Has Most Hospitals in Nation With Inpatient Electronic Health Record

Other hospital systems are working to catch up.  Just in the news recently was the pilot exchange of information between the VA and Kaiser....

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Three Million People Now Using Kaiser Permanente's PHR – My Health Manager

<p>With over more than 600,000 secure e-mail messages a month this sounds like a success.  They also have the pilot program with Microsoft HeatlhVault going too, so records can go from My Health Manager to the HealthVault.  Now we need an “e-patient Dave” to report in for us (grin).  <img align="right" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SE1A65B3fEI/AAAAAAAAHgg/XcFcCnjyBdg/image_thumb7.png?imgmax=800" />BD  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/06/kaiser-permanente-and-microsoft-empower.html">Kaiser Permanente and Microsoft Empower Consumers to Take Charge of Their Health Pilot program will allow voluntary data exchange from Kaiser Permanente’s market-leading personal health record to Microsoft® HealthVault™</a></h6> <blockquote> <p>OAKLAND, Calif., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente announced today that more than 3 million members are using My Health Manager, the<i> </i>personal health record available on <a href="http://www.kp.org">www.kp.org</a>. The growing number of active users - now more than one-third of Kaiser <a href="http://www.healthvault.com/"><img align="right" height="40" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SM3q6TdZm-I/AAAAAAAAI90/u04OgRqDvPI/image%5B14%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" width="96" /></a>Permanente's 8.6 million members - demonstrates that consumers find the organization's personal health record an effective, easy and convenient way to manage their care. This announcement comes during the annual Health 2.0 - 1x(R) conference in Boston, where leaders from Kaiser Permanente and other providers are collaborating to find the best ways to empower and engage patients in their own care.</p> <p>"My Health Manager increases a patient's access to caregivers and health information," Silvestre said. "This level of access enhances the doctor-patient relationship and facilitates collaboration, which ultimately results in better health outcomes."</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-22-2009/0005010777&EDATE=">Three Million People Now Using Kaiser Permanente's Personal Health Record</a></p> <p><strong><u>Related Reading:</u></strong></p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/10/kaiser-permanente-adds-new-online.html">Kaiser Permanente Adds New Online Health Tools for Chronic Conditions – Personal Health Records with more added value</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/02/kaiser-foundation-loses-794-million-in.html">Kaiser Foundation loses $794 million in 2008 – Investments and the Economy slated for the downturn</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/09/kaiser-permanente-will-donate-5-million.html">Kaiser Permanente will donate $5 million to Grady Memorial Hospital - more desperate hospitals</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/10/kaiser-permanente-has-most-hospitals-in.html">Kaiser Permanente Has Most Hospitals in Nation With Inpatient Electronic Health Record</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/09/kaiser-permanente-and-veterans-affairs.html">Kaiser Permanente And Veterans Affairs Preview Electronic Health Record Interoperability</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/06/kaiser-launches-kiosk-project-in.html">Kaiser launches kiosk project in Southern California</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/08/kaiser-and-stanford-get-389m-to-study.html">Kaiser and Stanford get $3.89M to study heart disease with linked medical records – California</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/12/kaiser-finds-some-low-tech-solutions.html">Kaiser finds some low tech solutions along with high tech..</a></h6> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/03/kaiser-to-cut-860-health-it-positions.html"><font size="1">Kaiser to cut 860 Health IT positions</font></a></h4> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:6ba1df8e-9241-4601-a06b-b631b3d88185" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Healthcare" rel="tag">Healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Foundation" rel="tag">Kaiser Foundation</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/hospitals" rel="tag">hospitals</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HMO" rel="tag">HMO</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/health+insurance" rel="tag">health insurance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HealthVault" rel="tag">HealthVault</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/personal+health+records" rel="tag">personal health records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a></div>

Three Million People Now Using Kaiser Permanente's PHR – My Health Manager

With over more than 600,000 secure e-mail messages a month this sounds like a success.  They also have the pilot program with Microsoft Heat...

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Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals Report Second Quarter Net Income $620 million

<p> Look at the numbers for the year to date and the net income is 1.1 billion, where as at the same time last year the numbers were 601 million.  They <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Sn-MXZp4auI/AAAAAAAAZWE/aZqarpZJHSc/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="59" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Sn-MX0Jxh6I/AAAAAAAAZWI/g9IWOUE3olo/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="150" /></a>have experienced membership declines as well as the rest of the insurers.  Earlier this year there was this report so I’m a bit confused here with the numbers cited, and perhaps the article below related towards their investment areas.  </p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/02/kaiser-foundation-loses-794-million-in.html"><font size="2">Kaiser Foundation loses $794 million in 2008 – Investments and the Economy slated for the downturn</font></a> </h6> <p>Something Kaiser is doing and other as well is using <strong>“medical migrant doctors”, </strong>on contract and those that travel to different locations to practice without being on staff and this might account for some savings as well as outsourcing a big chunk of their IT department recently.  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/03/medical-migrants-locum-tenens.html"><font size="2">Medical migrants - “locum tenens” Healthcare on Temporary Assignment</font></a></h4> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/03/kaiser-to-cut-860-health-it-positions.html"><font size="2">Kaiser to cut 860 Health IT positions</font></a></h4> <p>One other item to give some consideration to, is their <strong>overall connected HealthCare solutions</strong> and bringing patients and healthcare workers together <a href="http://www.healthvault.com/"><img align="right" height="44" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/DucknetServices/SM3q6TdZm-I/AAAAAAAAI90/u04OgRqDvPI/image%5B14%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" width="106" /></a>in time saving, more efficient manners, including giving patients access to their health records online and the capability of using HealthVault to share and move them if needed, <strong>technology might finally be paying off a bit here</strong>.  BD  </p> <blockquote> <p>OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and their subsidiaries (KFHP/H) reported today a combined total operating revenue of $10.5 billion for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, compared to $10.1 billion in the second quarter of last year. Operating income in the second quarter was $411 million, versus $499 million in the second quarter of last year. Net non-operating income was $209 million in the second quarter, compared to a net non-operating loss of $148 million in the second quarter of last year. As a result, second quarter net income was $620 million, versus $351 million in the second quarter of last year. These represent the combined operating results for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, and their subsidiaries. </p> <p>For the six months ended June 30, 2009, total operating revenue was $21.1 billion, compared to $20.2 billion in the same period last year. Year-to-date operating income was $1.0 billion, which is equivalent to the operating income reported in the same period last year. Net non-operating income was $15 million in the first six months of the year, compared to a net non-operating loss of $443 million in the same period last year.<strong> As a result, year-to-date net income was approximately $1.1 billion, versus net income of $601 million in the same period last year. </strong></p> <p>Total membership declined by nearly 36,000 members and remained at approximately 8.6 million in the first six months of the year. Capital spending totaled approximately $1.1 billion in the year-to-date period, which is comparable to the capital spending reported in the same period last year. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-07-2009/0005074109&EDATE=">Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals Report Second Quarter 2009 Financial Results</a></p> <p><strong><u>Related Reading:</u></strong></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/08/prime-healthcare-and-kaiser-still.html"><font size="1">Prime HealthCare and Kaiser Still Duking it Out In Court – Patients are Off the Hook for the Balance Due Bills</font></a></h4> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/07/kaiser-in-bellflower-ca-receives.html"><font size="1">Kaiser in Bellflower, CA Receives Another Fine – But How Often Does this Occur with Non-Transparent Hospitals?</font></a></h4> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/04/three-million-people-now-using-kaiser.html"><font size="1">Three Million People Now Using Kaiser Permanente's PHR – My Health Manager</font></a></h4> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/09/kaiser-permanente-and-veterans-affairs.html">Kaiser Permanente And Veterans Affairs Preview Electronic Health Record Interoperability</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/06/kaiser-launches-kiosk-project-in.html">Kaiser launches kiosk project in Southern California</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/08/kaiser-and-stanford-get-389m-to-study.html">Kaiser and Stanford get $3.89M to study heart disease with linked medical records – California</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/12/kaiser-finds-some-low-tech-solutions.html">Kaiser finds some low tech solutions along with high tech..</a></h6> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/03/super-surgery-session-at-kaiser-in-san.html"><font size="1">Super Surgery Session at Kaiser in San Francisco – 26 Patients received volunteer care</font></a></h4> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:a5813adb-5484-4061-adb5-840bc76f3410" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/personal+health+records" rel="tag">personal health records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HealthVault" rel="tag">HealthVault</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/online+appointments" rel="tag">online appointments</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/email+physicians.+medical+records" rel="tag">email physicians. medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/income" rel="tag">income</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/quarterly+results" rel="tag">quarterly results</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/profits" rel="tag">profits</a></div>

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals Report Second Quarter Net Income $620 million

Look at the numbers for the year to date and the net income is 1.1 billion, where as at the same time last year the numbers were 601 millio...

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Kaiser Permanente CIO Philip Fasano Named One of Computerworld's Top 100 Leaders

<p>A while back I wrote about CIOs needing some “tech” knowledge and I can’t help but think some of that gained this honor for Mr. Fasano.  Kaiser Permanente is very much involved with technology and innovation and is leading the way for others with some of their programs and shared <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SwtzanKm9zI/AAAAAAAAbGc/o4zlEalgtEE/image_thumb1.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" />information.  A while back I interviewed Chris McCarthy with their innovation division and you can read more about it at the link below to get an idea of what they are in to and where they are going.  BD</p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/innovation-and-learning-at-kaiser.html"><font size="2">Innovation and Learning at Kaiser Permanente – Interview With Chris McCarthy</font></a></h4> <p><strong><u>Press Release:</u></strong></p> <blockquote> <p>OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- <i>Computerworld</i> announced today that Philip Fasano, CIO for Kaiser Permanente, has been named a 2010 Premier 100 IT Leaders honoree. Fasano is one of 100 individuals<b> </b>from a broad range of companies<b> </b>recognized for exceptional technology leadership, innovative solutions to business challenges and effectively managed IT strategies. </p> <p>"Phil's contributions have helped Kaiser Permanente become a national leader in health IT, widening the role of technology in delivering medical care and empowering consumers to take control of their own health," said George Halvorson, CEO, Kaiser Permanente. "He is a true ambassador for the emerging and increasingly important space where information technology meets health care."</p> <p>Since joining Kaiser Permanente as CIO in 2007, Fasano has been working on moving the<strong> $40 billion not-for-profit health care system</strong> toward a vision of real-time, personalized health care for its 8.6 million members - specifically by directing the development and implementation of the technology to support and extend this vision. Fasano leads nearly 6,000 IT employees in building better tools and platforms to deliver personalized care that is smart, connected, collaborative, affordable and preventive. </p> <p><strong>The centerpiece of the technology platform is Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®, the world's largest civilian electronic health record. Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect® gives the organization's 14,600 physicians immediate access to patients' status and medical history, as well as decision support based on evidence-based practice guidelines and the latest medical research. Kaiser Permanente's members can easily and conveniently make and reschedule appointments, check lab results, and send e-mails to care providers via My Health Manager, the online personal health record that connects directly with Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®.</strong></p> <p>"I'm pleased to share this honor with my entire information technology team," said Fasano, "all of whom play a critical part in bringing to life technology solutions that represent the future of health care delivery."</p> <p><i>Computerworld</i> created the Premier 100 nearly 10 years ago to spotlight individuals who have had a positive impact on their organization through technology. Each year, 100 people are selected to receive this lifetime recognition award. Fasano joins the 1,000 honoree alumni dating back to the year 2000. <i>Computerworld</i>'s award-winning magazine and Web site are leading sources of technology news and information for IT influencers worldwide.</p> <p><b>About Kaiser Permanente</b></p> <p>Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: <a href="http://www.kp.org/newscenter/">www.kp.org/newscenter</a>.</p> <p></p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kaiser-permanente-cio-philip-fasano-named-one-of-computerworlds-top-100-it-leaders-for-2010-78695137.html">Kaiser Permanente CIO Philip Fasano Named One of Computerworld's Top 100</a></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:e432e91c-a67e-48d2-bd5e-9395ef64d52c" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://www.example.com/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/CIO" rel="tag">CIO</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/technology" rel="tag">technology</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Heatlh+Connect" rel="tag">Heatlh Connect</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Kaiser" rel="tag">Kaiser</a>, <a href="http://www.example.com/Computerworld" rel="tag">Computerworld</a></div>

Kaiser Permanente CIO Philip Fasano Named One of Computerworld's Top 100 Leaders

A while back I wrote about CIOs needing some “tech” knowledge and I can’t help but think some of that gained this honor for Mr. Fasano.  Kai...

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Kaiser Permanente Medical Terminology Donation Official Today With CMT Medical Vocabularies To HHS–A Big Step Forward for Interoperable EHRs & PHRS With Open Source Development Now Available For All

<p>Earlier this week the announcement came forward and today it’s official.  We all look for collaboration and standards with medical records and all the time and work over the years from Kaiser will also stand to benefit software developers and clinicians all over.  For patients, this means a big step forward with having different facilities, software and doctors being able to communicate and get the information into your chart that is needed. <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TKDme__9fpI/AAAAAAAAhq8/g8BVsThz4Qs/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/09/kaiser-permanente-announces-their.html"><font size="2">Kaiser Permanente Announces Their Donation of Convergent Medical Technology This Week For Open Access</font></a></h4> <p>If you have been in the Health IT business for a while and remember back, this was not an easy chore as Kaiser initially developed a system in house and then had to go back to the drawing board and start again and today it’s working very well with patients being able to connect with their physicians and have all their information available.  One other item that is nice is that Kaiser takes the time to walk patients through the system so they know how to log on and use their PHR.  You can have labs done at a facility in the morning and later on in the day see your results in the PHR.  </p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 330px; padding-right: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:82db6133-c1a3-4b24-9543-af354068ff3f" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent"><div id="38e398bd-c1f2-4877-b025-79410e09a63b" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIgKCcBhXjQ&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('38e398bd-c1f2-4877-b025-79410e09a63b'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"330\" height=\"248\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/JIgKCcBhXjQ&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3&hl=en\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/JIgKCcBhXjQ&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3&hl=en\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"330\" height=\"248\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/TKN3Z9FXDXI/AAAAAAAAhws/ZkfEV2PPUqQ/video3e319343a789%5B22%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none"></a></div></div></div> <p>SNOMED is a terminology for the physicians to make accurate and easier data entry possible, in other words terminology that is slated to be universal so a doctor in another country could understand what is in your chart if you were let’s say vacationing in another country and needed care.  As a patient, of course, this is what we all want to remove the guess work.  Last year I had the opportunity to chat with one of Kaiser’s pediatricians and she enlightened me on how the availability of medical records benefits both the patient and the doctor and the positive results seen by both sides.<img align="right" border="0" height="187" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S33NzLBb1uI/AAAAAAAAcnA/UTO6OgnWYF8/image_thumb17.png?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="253" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2010/02/kaiser-permanente-pediatrician-patricia.html"><font size="2">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</font></a></h4> <p>This is a really good move as we don’t have companies writing up several proprietary standards and competing for a sale here and is making use of a lot of pain staking work toward collaboration and using standards.  As a patient, if you are traveling outside of the areas where Kaiser has facilities, you can use Microsoft HealthVault to have access and share your records too.  </p> <p>In addition, they believe in innovation and their studies and research with solutions created have also been shared with the NHS and other healthcare facilities and programs.  <img align="right" border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/Swtzh-bsy5I/AAAAAAAAbG4/GpTpFP9U0G0/clip_image001182.gif?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" /></p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/11/innovation-and-learning-at-kaiser.html"><font size="2">Innovation and Learning at Kaiser Permanente – Interview With Chris McCarthy</font></a></h4> <p>You can read the full press release at the website for additional details.  In addition, <strong><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/kaiser-permanente-receives-54-million.html">Kaiser Permanente has participated in several clinical trials and NIH programs</a></strong>  to study heart disease as one example and the medical records play a vital role with compiling information and data in those areas as well.  BD  </p> <p><img align="right" border="0" height="211" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/S33NxZ7dApI/AAAAAAAAcmw/3isucqC2m1k/BMI%20result_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" width="208" /></p> <blockquote> <p><strong>OAKLAND, Calif. — </strong>Kaiser Permanente today announced it is donating its Convergent Medical Terminology to the <a href="http://www.ihtsdo.org/">International Healthcare Terminology Standards Development Organisation</a> (IHTSDO©) for U.S. distribution through the <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/">U.S. Department of Health and Human Services</a> so that all health care providers — large and small — can benefit from the translation-enabling technology. </p> <p>This donation makes the results of years of work at Kaiser Permanente available to help U.S. health professionals and hospitals achieve key meaningful use standards set forth by the <a href="http://www.hhs.gov/healthit/">Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT</a> and the <a href="http://www.cms.gov/">Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services</a>.</p> <p>Kaiser Permanente’s donation, which is being provided at no charge, consists of terminology content they have already developed, a set of tools to help create and manage terminology, and processes to control the quality of terminology that is developed. CMT also includes mappings to classifications and standard vocabularies, such as the <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/Snomed/snomed_main.html">Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine – Clinical Terms</a> (SNOMED CT©) already accepted by U.S. and international health policy makers. </p> <p>Kaiser Permanente has agreed to work with the IHTSDO, the owner of SNOMED CT, and its U.S. Member, the <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/">National Library of Medicine</a>, to help make an internationally distributed network of terminology development a reality.</p> <p><strong>CMT is also utilized by Kaiser Permanente’s personal health record, </strong><a href="http://www.kp.org/myhealthmanager/"><strong>My Health Manager</strong></a><strong>, on kp.org so that patients can get a better understanding of their medical care.</strong> My Health Manager provides patients with secure, timely access to their lab test results, medication information and refill capabilities, summaries of their health conditions, and other important health information with just the click of a mouse. The technology empowers patients to manage their health by allowing them to access health information and tools and securely e-mail their doctor. </p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/pressreleases/nat/2010/092910cmt.html">Kaiser Permanente Opens Access to Internal Medical Terminology to Help Others Meet U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Goals for Better Use of Health Information Technology | Kaiser Permanente News Center</a></p> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:776e4da6-4cce-4592-9f2a-e1e9b508d7a6" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/LOINC" rel="tag">LOINC</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/DiCom" rel="tag">DiCom</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+records" rel="tag">medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/standards" rel="tag">standards</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/computers" rel="tag">computers</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/SnoMed" rel="tag">SnoMed</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/diagnosis" rel="tag">diagnosis</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/procedures" rel="tag">procedures</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/HHS" rel="tag">HHS</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Open+Source" rel="tag">Open Source</a></div>

Kaiser Permanente Medical Terminology Donation Official Today With CMT Medical Vocabularies To HHS–A Big Step Forward for Interoperable EHRs & PHRS With Open Source Development Now Available For All

Earlier this week the announcement came forward and today it’s official.  We all look for collaboration and standards with medical records a...

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Kaiser Permanente Mail In Pharmacies Get Top Recognition from JD Powers

<p>This is just a guess, but I think using technology here too is creating better satisfaction.  As a patient if you can log on electronically to your medical records, see your labs, medications and request refills, etc. it makes sense to me.  My 85 year old mother, not with Kaiser as she is in Arizona, had a pharmacy benefit manager who did everything online and this year a new contract was awarded to a PBM that relies on fax and phone calls and it’s a lot more work and chasing around for her.   She liked having it online a lot better and I can imagine that this is huge at Kaiser too, why wouldn’t it be to use your PHR and have all the information you need in front of you.  8.6 million the article states have the option and you can see below where this is going with almost 1/3 so far managing their healthcare online.  BD  </p> <h4><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/04/three-million-people-now-using-kaiser.html"><font size="2">Three Million People Now Using Kaiser Permanente's PHR – My Health Manager</font></a></h4> <blockquote> <p><strong>OAKLAND, Calif. —</strong> Kaiser Permanente announced today that the organization’s mail-in pharmacy benefits ranked highest in customer satisfaction in the <a href="http://www.jdpower.com/corporate/news/releases/pressrelease.aspx?ID=2009166">J.D. Power and Associates 2009 National Pharmacy Study</a>. The study measured more than a dozen mail-order pharmacies, and participants were asked to evaluate them across five factors: ordering convenience, delivery convenience, medication availability and information, cost competitiveness and customer service. <strong>Kaiser Permanente's mail-order pharmacy is supported by the organization's electronic health record, Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®, and members' personal health record, </strong><a href="http://www.kp.org/myhealthmanager"><strong>My Health Manager</strong></a><strong> at </strong><a href="http://www.kp.org"><strong>kp.org</strong></a><strong>.<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SsBN6I0qIJI/AAAAAAAAaKs/eazI7VziTvA/s1600-h/image%5B3%5D.png"><img align="right" alt="image" border="0" height="63" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_v3zjJigoAPE/SsBN62WKnTI/AAAAAAAAaKw/T4UV7hCV1-U/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png?imgmax=800" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="image" width="224" /></a> </strong></p> <p>"We have long known that Kaiser Permanente members appreciate the ease and convenience of ordering and refilling prescriptions via phone and online, and are thrilled to have that recognized by the J.D. Power and Associates study," said Al Carver, vice president, pharmacy strategy and operations at Kaiser Permanente.<strong> "Easy access to medication info, online prescription orders and having them delivered at an affordable price supports members' ability to manage their own health and that of their loved ones."</strong></p> </blockquote> <p><a href="http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter/pressreleases/nat/2009/092309_jdpowerpharmacyaward.html">Kaiser Permanente Recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as Highest in Customer Satisfaction Among Mail-Order Pharmacies | Kaiser Permanente News Center</a></p> <p><strong><u>Related Reading:</u></strong></p> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/09/kaiser-permanente-opens-new-medical.html">Kaiser Permanente Opens New Medical Center in Downey</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/04/three-million-people-now-using-kaiser.html">Three Million People Now Using Kaiser Permanente's PHR – My Health Manager</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2008/09/kaiser-permanente-and-veterans-affairs.html">Kaiser Permanente And Veterans Affairs Preview Electronic Health Record Interoperability</a></h6> <h6><a href="http://ducknetweb.blogspot.com/2009/04/kaiser-permanente-offers-abbreviated.html">Kaiser Permanente offers Abbreviated Personal Health Records on a Read Only USB drive for $5.00</a></h6> <div style="padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; float: none; padding-top: 0px" id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:1021566f-96f6-400a-b051-329ab69917aa" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/electronic+medical+records" rel="tag">electronic medical records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Medical+Records" rel="tag">Medical Records</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Kaiser+Permanente" rel="tag">Kaiser Permanente</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Health+IT" rel="tag">Health IT</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/healthcare" rel="tag">healthcare</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/medical+errors" rel="tag">medical errors</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EMR" rel="tag">EMR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/EHR" rel="tag">EHR</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PHR" rel="tag">PHR</a></div>

Kaiser Permanente Mail In Pharmacies Get Top Recognition from JD Powers

This is just a guess, but I think using technology here too is creating better satisfaction.  As a patient if you can log on electronically ...

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