Kaiser Permanente is a nonprofit health maintenance organization (HMO) that serves nearly 12 million members in 8.6 million households in the United States. Headquartered in Oakland, California, it is the largest integrated health care system in the world, with over 15,000 physicians and more than 80 hospitals and clinics. The organization has an annual operating budget of $30 billion and provides medical coverage for one in every eight Americans. Kaiser Permanente’s mission is “to provide high-quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve.”
The organization was founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and physician Sidney Garfield as a way to provide prepaid hospital care to workers at Kaiser’s shipyards on the West Coast. Since then, Kaiser Permanente has grown to become one of the largest HMOs in the United States. In addition to its size, Kaiser Permanente is notable for its vertically integrated structure, which allows it to control all aspects of member care from preventive services to treatment and follow-up. This integration results in better coordination of care and improved quality and efficiency. For example, studies have shown that Kaiser Permanente patients are less likely to be readmitted to the hospital after discharge than patients receiving care from other types of healthcare providers.
A key element of Kaiser Permanente’s success has been its focus on preventive medicine. The organization offers a wide range of prevention programs – such as screenings for cancer, heart disease, and stroke – that help keep members healthy and avoid costly treatments down the road. These programs have helped Kaiser Permanente avoid millions of dollars in costs each year while also improving patient outcomes. In addition to its focus on prevention, Kaiser Permanente also emphasizes early detection and treatment of illness through regular check-ups and screenings. By catching diseases early when they are most treatable, Kaiser Permanete helps ensure that its members receive timely, effective care while also reducing overall healthcare costs..