A $5.2 million endowment from the nonprofit foundation of Kaiser Permanente will go to support the Center for Health Equity at UCLA School of Public Health in the name of reducing inequality in healthcare distribution.
The center, formerly known as the Center to Eliminate Health Disparities, works toward improving the health of underserved populations including the economically disadvantaged and minority groups through its research and collaboration with community leaders.
"This generous funding from Kaiser Permanente will enable the center to expand its ability to bring critical resources and attention to communities with the greatest needs," said Linda Rosenstock, dean of the UCLA School of Public Health. "Until now, the center has lacked the core support necessary to most effectively address the unacceptable gaps in health status among some in our communities."
Kaiser Permanente’s senior vice president for community benefit, Raymond J. Baxter, said the endowment is a sign of the healthcare group’s commitment to greater collaboration between academia, health care providers and the community.
As the nation continues to grapple with healthcare inequality, efforts like Kaiser Permanente’s and the UCLA Center for Health Equity can help bridge the gap in delivering treatment to people who have lacked proper insurance and care.
"The very health of our communities is now in the spotlight, but the issue of health equity has persisted under the radar for far too long," said Benjamin Chu, president of Kaiser Permanente Southern California.
Funding for the center will help it continue to provide programs that it has had previous success with, such as intervention studies of populations to promote disease prevention. Examples of innovative programs developed by the center include strategies to increase uptake of the human papillomavirus vaccine among young girls and promoting healthy eating and exercise among farmworkers to reduce chronic disease.
Great… Kaiser is the same company that intentionally dumped many patients on LA’s Skid Row (remember the video a few years ago, catching them red handed?). This is Kaiser, yet again, trying to buy more goodwill. Kaiser already made a $1.7B profit in the first 9 months of 2009… not bad for a “not-for-profit” ‘eh? That said, Kaiser did donate a paltry $54M in the first 9 months of 2009, and that would be in addition to the unbelievably low 0.2% of their revenue that is dedicated to community benefit (per the IRS definition).
I believe that Kaiser understands EXACTLY what causes disparities in health… as they have been complicit in it for the past 60+ years. Just take a look at what kind of care Kaiser provides in Oakland and Richmond vs. in the suburbs where their executives live and get their care. Another example is that Kaiser’s corrupt CEO happened to be close to Mayo Clinic in Rochetster, MN when he needed emergency heart care. Last I checked, Rochester is 90 minutes from Minneapolis and in the middle of nowhere. Great job Kaiser… the care you provide is apparently nowhere near good enough for your precious leader.