Kaiser Permanente Receives Honor for Outstanding Heart Attack, Stroke Care

OAKLAND, Calif., Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Permanente Medical Group and the Southern California Permanente Medical Group, the medical groups caring for Kaiser Permanente members in California, have received the California Department of Managed Health Care's 2013 "Right Care Initiative" Silver Award for outstanding performance in prevention of heart attack and stroke.

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The recognitions are given annually to California health plans and medical groups that meet clinical performance standards for controlling blood pressure, blood sugar and/or cholesterol.  The Silver Award is given to medical groups in the state that attain the national 90th percentile of performance for the control of blood pressure and cholesterol for cardiovascular, hypertensive and diabetic patients.

"Kaiser Permanente's comprehensive approach to controlling hypertension has been cited by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a model to be emulated everywhere," said Robert Pearl, MD, executive director and CEO of The Permanente Medical Group. "More than 80 percent of our members diagnosed with hypertension have their blood pressure under control, compared to barely half nationally. Receiving this recognition as a quality leader in California by the DMHC demonstrates the superiority of Kaiser Permanente's model."

Only five medical groups in California, out of nearly 200 that report to the Integrated Healthcare Association, reached those levels of control, according to the data provided by the state.

"How wonderful it is to be able to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. It's an honor to be recognized for improving the well-being of our members through the excellent care of our dedicated physicians and staff," said Edward M. Ellison, MD, executive medical director of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. "When you combine the passion and commitment of our physician-led teams with coordinated electronic medical records and systems of care focused on our patients' total well-being, outcomes are better. This total health approach improves lives and helps our members achieve their best health."

Launched in 2008, the Right Care Initiative is a public-private collaborative effort focused on preventing premature disability and death from heart attacks, strokes and diabetic complications.

The statewide goal of the initiative is for all California health plans and medical groups to reach the 90th percentile of performance in control of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol as published in the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set.

About Kaiser Permanente

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 9.1 million members in eight 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: kp.org/share.

CONTACT
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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente