April 17, 2012 — Kaiser Permanente Northwest is investing
$1.2 million to improve health outcomes for uninsured and low-income residents in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Eight safety net clinics will receive grant money to improve clinical outcomes for more than 6,000 patients with chronic illnesses, such as diabetes and hypertension.
“Kaiser Permanente has a longstanding commitment to institutions that serve on the front lines of health care for the uninsured and underserved,” said Jill Ginsberg, MD, co-founder of the North by Northeast Community Health Center. “Many people would have no access to regular care if not for these clinics and the dedication of their staffs and volunteers.”
Kaiser Permanente is partnering with community health centers, local health departments and public hospitals — collectively referred to as the “safety net” — to help these vital health care providers improve care and expand treatment to the communities they serve. The three-year Clinical Quality Improvement Initiative is funded by Kaiser Permanente Northwest Community Benefit to improve care and expand treatment capacity for vulnerable populations.
Grantees and descriptions of their funded projects are:
- Clackamas County Health Department: Develop a health engagementprogram to improve diabetes management for Latino patients, increasing the percentage of patients with their diabetes control at goal.
- Cowlitz Family Health Center: Improve diabetes care and outcomes through use of a care coordinator/health educator.
- Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest: Improve diabetes control through case management and provider education.
- North by Northeast Community Health Center: Increase percentage of patients with blood pressure at goal through group visits, care coordination, and community outreach workers.
- Salem Free Clinics: Improve diabetes outcomes through weekly clinics focused on diabetes care.
- Southwest Community Health Center: Develop and implement a system of clinical quality improvement. Identify diabetic patients eligible for three-medication bundle (ALL) for heart disease prevention and improve use of ALL.
- Virginia Garcia Memorial Foundation: Improve outcomes for Latino diabetic patients through team-based care.
- The Wallace Medical Concern: Develop a diabetes management program for a largely Latino population.
