Kaiser Permanente Joins White House in Effort to Vaccinate 70% of U.S. Adults by July 4

Health system commits $10 million in community grants, announces sweepstakes ahead of July 4 goal

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Jun 08, 2021, 10:00 ET

OAKLAND, Calif., June 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest integrated, nonprofit health care provider, is joining the White House for its National Month of Action sprint to vaccinate 70% of adults in the U.S. against COVID-19 with at least one shot by July 4. By launching several programs and incentives to engage unvaccinated individuals, Kaiser Permanente is aiming to increase confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, and to provide easy access to receive it.

With a presence in eight U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Kaiser Permanente is well positioned to accelerate this final vaccine push by connecting with millions of Americans who are not yet vaccinated.

"The U.S. vaccination effort has been a tremendous and inspiring undertaking, and Kaiser Permanente is proud to have played our part to quickly and safely protect Americans from the most immediate threat to the health of our nation. From standing up mass vaccination sites to deploying mobile clinics that have reached the most vulnerable populations, we've made every effort to vaccinate our communities," said Kaiser Permanente chair and Chief Executive Officer Greg A. Adams. "There are still many Americans who have yet to be vaccinated, and we've designed these new programs to increase vaccination rates so we can reach the critical milestone of 70% vaccination rate by July 4."

Kaiser Permanente's new initiatives include:

$10 million in community grants: Kaiser Permanente is targeting 100 community-based organizations to receive funding to continue to promote vaccine confidence messages and engage organizations such as churches, schools, and other trusted community hubs. This funding is in addition to our prior investment of $25 million in nearly 200 community-based organizations to increase vaccine access and build confidence in high-risk populations.
ImmUNITY sweepstakes: Open to anyone age 12 and older who has been vaccinated by Kaiser Permanente and all vaccinated Kaiser Permanente members — regardless of where they got vaccinated — this sweepstakes will encourage vaccination while also supporting a full and healthy return to life's activities. One thousand people will win Be Well Rewards that include wellness retreats, healthy home meal deliveries, personal training equipment, gym memberships, and family trips to theme parks and national parks.
Influencer and social media campaign: Reaching an online audience of 18- to 30-year-olds, this campaign will deliver relevant messaging from trusted voices and social influencers. Activities will include social engagement programs with existing partners, including the Cloud9 esports team.
Member and community education: Continued outreach to Kaiser Permanente members and broader communities will deliver trusted messaging on COVID-19 vaccination and safety that expands the organization's ongoing work to prioritize outreach to Black, Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and other disproportionately impacted communities.
Publication of a vaccine confidence toolkit: This toolkit focuses on improving vaccine access and equity and highlights Kaiser Permanente's proven approaches, including the use of trusted messengers and population health strategies to encourage vaccination. The toolkit is intended to share best practices to help other health systems and vaccine providers accelerate vaccination rates.
Population-based care: For unvaccinated eligible people, Kaiser Permanente is using culturally relevant emails, mailings, and texts to encourage vaccination. Messages are tailored to individuals and populations including from our providers and employees who reflect the people of their community.
Personalized physician outreach: When unvaccinated members see their physician and care team in person, Kaiser Permanente uses prompts to discuss vaccination in a personalized venue. When patients visit pharmacies and labs, they can use conveniently placed posters with QR codes to access vaccine clinics that are now available on a walk-in basis.

Kaiser Permanente has been effectively vaccinating its employees, members, and communities for the past six months. With its scale and extensive experience in population health, the organization has partnered broadly with cities, states, and other municipalities, as well as with community organizations and federally qualified health centers, to safely and equitably administer nearly 7 million shots. As some of the first eligible to receive vaccinations, Kaiser Permanente's health care workers, with support from our labor partners, played an essential role in encouraging others to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

"We are making it easier than ever for people to get the vaccine. Our own clinics are open on a walk-in basis in addition to scheduling appointments. We are also in our communities with pop-up clinics at parks, community centers, and churches just to name a few options," said Stephen Parodi, MD, executive vice president of The Permanente Federation.

According to the White House, 63% of adult Americans had been vaccinated as of June 2, including 73% of Americans age 40 and over. COVID-19 cases and deaths have plummeted as a result, with cases falling more than 90% since January 20, 2021. Deaths are down over 85% in that time period. Nearly 600,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early 2020.

Throughout the pandemic, Kaiser Permanente has engaged with its members, communities, labor partners, and fellow health care providers to provide the most current information about COVID-19 and to encourage measures to prevent the virus's transmission. Notable efforts include supporting the Ad Council's multicultural COVID-19 education campaign; and publishing the Kaiser Permanente COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Toolkit to highlight approaches to improve vaccine access and equity. Kaiser Permanente's vaccine equity strategy is rooted in the organization's 75-year history of identifying and addressing health inequities in the medical system, public health arena, and society at large.

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, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group 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, contact:
Hilary Costa, [email protected]
(510)-406-6654

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente