Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States Awarded Over $400,000 in Community Benefit Grants

Second Quarter Funding Focused on Building Community Health and Expanding Capacity

ROCKVILLE, Md., Aug. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, the area's largest nonprofit health plan and care provider, awarded over $400,000 in grants in the second quarter of 2011.  The grants will serve as investments in community health initiatives and safety net providers seeking to expand their capacity to provide care for low-income and the underserved.  Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States' second quarter grant activity will help serve approximately 5,700 people by supporting over 40 nonprofit organizations across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia which received funding.

"Kaiser Permanente continues to invest in local nonprofit organizations putting an emphasis on investments in community health initiatives and extending care to underserved communities.  These investments are made to fulfill Kaiser Permanente's vision of total health for all communities," said Marilyn Kawamura, health plan president, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States.  

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States' contributions in the second quarter of 2011 included, but were not limited to, grants in the following areas:

Building Community Health
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States works with local community organizations to invest in programs that improve community health.

• $94,990 to Summit Health Institute for Research and Education, Inc. (SHIRE) in Washington, D.C., for an early childhood healthy living advocacy initiative.  Taking a two-pronged approach to combat child obesity and promote healthy eating and activity, SHIRE works directly with child care educators to incorporate healthy eating, active living into school curriculum and parents of young children by offering nutrition and movement education celebrations.  The nutrition and movement parties cater to parents and provide educational sessions on healthy cooking, provide material that support healthy nutrition choices, and encourage physical activity in the home environment.
• $95,000 to Coppin State University of Baltimore, MD, for an obesity, unplanned pregnancy, and community care program.  The outreach program overseen by the university's Community Health Center will provide support and care to high school students of St. Francis Academy along with residents in the surrounding area.  The obesity component of the program will integrate nutrition education into the school's curriculum including bi-weekly exercise sessions for students.

Expanding Capacity
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States cultivates partnerships with "safety net" organizations to increase their capacity to provide health care in the communities they serve.

• $50,000 to Family Services, Inc., of Gaithersburg, MD, to help facilitate the organization's Health Integration Project—a collaborative initiative between Family Services' outpatient mental health clinic and Community Clinic Inc. -- and implement an electronic medical records (EMR) allowing the organization to improve the quality of care for the organization's shared clients.
• $95,000 to Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc. (ANHSI) in Alexandria, VA, to expand medical capacity to serve a growing number of low-income and uninsured adults with chronic illness.  With the increased medical capacity, ANHSI will increase access to care for approximately 1,800 new patients.
• $99,988 to Mosaica, Inc., a Washington, D.C.-based multicultural nonprofit capacity-building organization, to help guide safety net health centers prepare for health care reform through capacity building and financial viability.

To learn more about Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States Community Benefit programs, please visit http://bit.ly/eWrQU1.  

About Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States
Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States region, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, provides and coordinates complete health care services for almost 500,000 members through 30 medical centers in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.  Founded in 1980, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is a total health organization comprised of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., and the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, P.C., an independent medical group that features approximately 900 physicians who provide or arrange care for patients throughout the area.  Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is considered one of Maryland's "Top HMOs," according to the Maryland Health Care Commission.  The health plan was ranked in the nation's 100 top commercial health plans and 20 top Medicare health plans – and the #1 Medicare plan for Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. – by "NCQA Health Insurance Plan Rankings 2010-2011 Private."  For more information about Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, visit www.kp.org.

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States

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