Kaiser Permanente Ranks No. 4 on DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity(R)

OAKLAND, Calif., March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente was ranked No. 4 on the 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list, up three spots from the previous year, for its demonstrated use of diversity best practices and positive results. This is the first time Kaiser Permanente has been ranked in the top 5 of this list.

This is the 10th year DiversityInc has administered its Top 50 Companies survey. A total of 449 companies participated this year, up 12 percent from last year. Ranked No. 4 out of 449 companies, Kaiser Permanente's ranking shows it has demonstrated extraordinary strength in the four areas measured by DiversityInc – CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity.

DiversityInc reported that a key factor in Kaiser Permanente's success is the commitment of its chairman and CEO, George Halvorson, to the organization's National Diversity agenda. When DiversityInc's evaluators look at demographics at the top organizations for racial/ethnic diversity, they rarely see the type of progress demonstrated by Kaiser Permanente, including its board of directors and senior management, DiversityInc stated. Kaiser Permanente's commitment to diversity has grown steadily over the past several years, which is why Kaiser Permanente has continued its move up the DiversityInc Top 50 list. Additionally:

• Kaiser Permanente's regional presidents represent a diverse population: 25 percent are Black, 25 percent are Asian American and 50 percent are women.
• Kaiser Permanente also has one of the most diverse boards anywhere: 21 percent Black, 14.5 percent Latino, 14.5 percent Asian American and 36 percent women.

"I sat down last year with Kaiser Permanente Chairman and Chief Executive Officer George Halvorson and was deeply impressed by his personal commitment and involvement in diversity management. He lives his values," said Luke Visconti, DiversityInc's chief executive officer. "I've never seen a more diverse leadership team – he has built a corporate culture that is truly unique. Health care disparity is one of the greatest issues facing this nation today and Kaiser Permanente is doing a magnificent job in closing the chasm caused by poverty, socioeconomic class and lack of access to resources," Visconti added.

"At Kaiser Permanente, we take tremendous pride in our diversity programs, history, and leadership," said James E Taylor, senior director of diversity strategy implementation at Kaiser Permanente. "From a rich history of diversity firsts in the industry – including hiring women physicians and physicians of color during the pre-civil rights era and providing medical care in racially integrated facilities when racial segregation was the prevailing societal practice – to sustained efforts to integrate diversity into every aspect of daily business operations," continued Taylor. "We have distinguished ourselves as an inclusive, socially conscious organization focused on our people, members, patients and communities."

DiversityInc announced its Top 50 Companies for Diversity and the specialty lists on Tuesday, March 9, at a gala in Washington, D.C. Kaiser Permanente and its ranking will be featured in the June 2010 issue of DiversityInc Magazine.

The top-ranked company on the list this year is food-service manager Sodexo. Also listed in the top five are Johnson & Johnson, AT&T and Ernst & Young. For more detailed information on the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list, please visit www.DiversityInc.com/top50.

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 8.6 million members in nine 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: www.kp.org/newscenter.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente