Kaiser

Kaiser Permanente is a leading American integrated managed care consortium headquartered in Oakland, California. Established in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney R. Garfield, the organization was initially created to provide medical services to workers in Kaiser's shipyards and steel mills.

Over time, it expanded its services to the general public, evolving into one of the largest nonprofit health plans in the United States.

The organization operates through a unique structure comprising three interdependent entities:

• Kaiser Foundation Health Plans (KFHP): Nonprofit corporations that offer prepaid health plans and insurance, contracting exclusively with the Permanente Medical Groups and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals for medical and hospital services.
• Permanente Medical Groups: Physician-owned organizations providing and arranging medical care for KFHP members in their respective regions.
• Kaiser Foundation Hospitals: Nonprofit entities operating community hospitals in California, Oregon, and Hawaii, and outpatient facilities in other states, funded by KFHP and providing infrastructure for the medical groups.

As of 2024, Kaiser Permanente serves approximately 12.5 million members across eight states—California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Oregon, Virginia, and Washington—as well as the District of Columbia.

The organization employs over 223,000 individuals, including more than 73,000 nurses and 24,000 physicians, operating 40 hospitals and over 600 medical offices.

Kaiser Permanente is renowned for its integrated care model, emphasizing preventive medicine and coordinated care to improve health outcomes and reduce costs.

This approach has led to high-quality care ratings, attributed to practices such as placing a strong emphasis on preventive care, employing salaried physicians to reduce unnecessary procedures, and minimizing hospital stays by shifting care to outpatient clinics.

In recent years, Kaiser Permanente has expanded its value-based healthcare model through initiatives like Risant Health, aiming to support community health systems in adopting similar approaches to enhance care quality and cost efficiency.

Locations

• Salem, OR, USA
• Hillsboro, OR, USA
• Honolulu, HI, USA
• Oakland, CA, USA
• Pasadena, CA, USA
• Gresham, OR, USA
• San Francisco, CA, USA
• Portland, OR, USA

Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to providing high-quality, affordable healthcare services continues to make it a significant player in the U.S. healthcare landscape.