Kaiser Permanente Donates $500,000 for Relief Efforts Following Earthquake in Haiti

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Jan 15, 2010, 08:49 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente announced today that it has donated $500,000 to four national disaster relief organizations to provide aid to the victims of this week's earthquake in Haiti. The nonprofit health care organization has wired the funding to Doctors Without Borders, Relief International, Operation USA and MedShare International, and is providing expertise and support to U.S. disaster response teams.

"Our deepest sympathies go out to the victims and their families following the devastating earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday," said Raymond J. Baxter, Ph.D., senior vice president, Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy, Kaiser Permanente. "Kaiser Permanente has a long history of providing support to communities in need, and will be there for the people of Haiti through the stages of their recovery and rebuilding."

The Kaiser Permanente contribution to Haitian relief efforts includes:

$200,000 to Doctors Without Borders
$200,000 to Relief International
$50,000 to Operation USA
$50,000 to MedShare International

Some Kaiser Permanente physicians and nurses who are trained in disaster relief already have departed for Haiti on behalf of the aid organizations with which they are affiliated.

Kaiser Permanente has worked closely with these and other relief organizations during previous times of crises including support to Southeast Asia following the tsunami of 2004, the earthquake in Pakistan in 2005 and the earthquake in Indonesia in 2006. In addition, for each of the past five years, Kaiser Permanente has supported ongoing recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 through financial contributions and the deployment of teams of volunteers.

In total, Kaiser Permanente has contributed more than $5 million since 2004 to charitable organizations globally that provide humanitarian aid for disaster relief, recovery and rebuilding.

Kaiser Permanente will continue to provide further resources to Haiti as needs arise.

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 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