Kaiser Permanente Approves $29 Million in Community Bene...( Efforts Reinforce Commitment to Hea...),Health

Efforts Reinforce Commitment to Healthy Eating, Active Living and Safety

Net Partnerships

OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the fourth quarter of 2007, Kaiser Permanente approved 778 community benefit grants, totaling more than $29 million. The charitable contributions underscore the organization's commitment to improve the health of the communities that it serves. Funds were pledged or paid in each of Kaiser Permanente's eight geographic regions, with key grants being made to aid the fight against obesity in Colorado and strengthen the quality of care to underserved populations through safety net partnerships in California.

"Kaiser Permanente recognizes that good health requires more than exceptional health care at the doctor's office or hospital. Our members, neighbors, employees, physicians, families, and friends cannot be healthy if they live in unhealthy community environments or do not have access to quality care in their communities," said Raymond J. Baxter, Ph.D., senior vice president, Community Benefit. "With the guiding vision of making total health a reality for everyone, we look to offer assistance to organizations that share this goal and remain committed to expanding our impact beyond our walls."

LiveWell Colorado

In December, Kaiser Permanente pledged $16 million to allow LiveWell Colorado, a program that supports community-based initiatives to fight obesity, to become its own non-profit entity charged with coordinating obesity prevention and wellness efforts statewide. The umbrella organization, confounded by The Colorado Health Foundation, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and Kaiser Permanente, will be one of the first of its kind in the United States to serve as a central hub for overseeing and optimizing healthy eating and active living programs throughout a state.

LiveWell Colorado will support a range of community-based efforts
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