Kaiser Permanente Recognized as Best Place for Diverse Managers

DiversityMBA Magazine ranks Kaiser Permanente No. 1 on annual list

OAKLAND, Calif., March 5 /PRNewswire/ – Kaiser Permanente’s long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion has been recognized by DiversityMBA Magazine. The health care organization was ranked No. 1 in the publication’s fourth annual “50 Out Front for Diversity Leadership: Best Places for Diverse Managers to Work,” which will hit newsstands in April 2009.

“This award is a great acknowledgement of the priority Kaiser Permanente places on creating a workplace environment that is characterized by respect for the individual and a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for our employees,” said Ronald Knox, senior vice president and chief diversity officer at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.

Published quarterly, DiversityMBA Magazine‘s aim is to serve the needs of multicultural professionals in corporate America, business students and entrepreneurs. In selecting the 2009 “50 Out Front Companies” the publication’s selection team expanded its research evaluations to include companies that implement intentional strategies based on accountability, strong inclusion practices and ongoing evaluation of retention/recruitment activities that allow and encourage managers of diverse backgrounds to excel and develop into leadership roles.

Today, Kaiser Permanente’s 181,000 employee and physician workforce is composed of 74 percent women and 56 percent people of color, mirroring and exceeding the racial, ethnic and gender composition of its health plan membership and the communities it serves. The organization has been recognized in the past year for corporate diversity leadership by several organizations and publications, including:

• DiversityInc – Top 50 Companies for Diversity (2008; 2007; 2006)
• Human Rights Campaign Foundation & the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association – Healthcare Equality Index
• Black Collegian Magazine – Top 100 Diversity Employers
• DiversityMBA Magazine – Top 50 Companies (2009; 2008)
• Asian Enterprise Magazine – Best Companies for Asian Americans (2008; 2007)
• Workforce Management Magazine – Optimas Award (Ethical Category)
• Latina Style Magazine – LS 50
• Human Rights Campaign – Corporate Equality Index (2008; 2007; 2006; 2005)
• The California Diversity Council – DiversityFIRST Award
• Gay and Lesbian Medical Association in association with Pfizer – GLMA Achievement Award

Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to workforce diversity is grounded in its Board of Directors – mandated National Diversity Agenda which also includes a focus on multicultural marketing and culturally competent care delivery – health care that acknowledges cultural and linguistic diversity in the clinical setting, respects members’ cultural beliefs and practices, and fully integrates cultural skills, knowledge and considerations into the total healthcare experience of our members. Through its Institute for Culturally Competent Care and Linguistic Programs, Kaiser Permanente has established “Centers of Excellence,” innovative clinical models that respond to the health and language needs of specific populations.

“Diversity is a core value of Kaiser Permanente, and we are delighted to be recognized as the No. 1 place to work by DiversityMBA Magazine. Our commitment to creating a workplace environment that embraces and utilizes the unique cultural expertise and attributes of each employee and physician enables us to better meet the health needs of our increasingly diverse membership, and gives us a distinct edge in the marketplace,” said Knox.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is America‘s leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, the program is headquartered in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves 8.7 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 167,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and caregivers, and 14,000 physicians representing all specialties. The organization’s Labor Management Partnership is the largest such health care partnership in the United States. It governs how more than 130,000 workers, managers, physicians and dentists work together to make Kaiser Permanente the best place to receive care, and the best place to work. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit the Kaiser Permanente News Center at: http://xnet.kp.org/newscenter

                               www.kaiserpermanente.org

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente