Kaiser
Permanente is planning to equip all of its providers with technology tools to
help address the social determinants of health.
May 06,
2019 - Kaiser Permanente is architecting a first-of-its kind
program to connect all 12.3 million of its members to resources addressing the
social determinants of health.
The large-scale
initiative, called Thrive Local, will integrate traditional clinical care with
mental healthcare and community services to provide comprehensive support for
individuals struggling with food insecurity, housing issues, and personal
safety concerns.
“Kaiser Permanente
has long understood that total health can only be achieved through a
combination of physical, mental and social care,” said Kaiser Permanente
Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson.
“In order to thrive,
people need access to the things that are vital to health such as secure
housing and nutritious food. Our unique mission to improve not only the health
of our members, but also that of our communities, drives us to undertake
impactful initiatives like Thrive Local to connect our communities with the
services they need. This is one of our bold moves.”
Kaiser Permanente
will partner with Unite Us, a health IT network designed to link community
organizations with healthcare providers, to create a seamless electronic
platform for supporting connections between organizations.
The tool will be
integrated into Kaiser’s electronic health record to offer intuitive access to
information at the point of care.
In some of Kaiser
Permanente’s communities, close to a third of people struggle with food
security and as many as 23 percent experience housing instability, both of
which can have profound impacts on mental health, family life, and clinical
outcomes.
“Where and how people
live, work and play drive more than half of health outcomes. To address total
health, we, as physicians, need systems and networks that address our patients’
social needs,” said Imelda Dacones, MD, president and chief executive officer, Northwest
Permanente.
“Health care in this
country must continue to evolve — from acute episodic care, to an integrated
coordinated system focused on prevention and coordinated care management. This
tool will accelerate our evolution as a sector to next-generation care delivery
— a community-integrated model that connects physicians, our patients and
health care systems to community resources that address our patients’
socioeconomic needs.”
Kaiser Permanente
providers and Unite Us will be able to better track individuals affected by
negative social determinants of health and coordinate follow-up services for
those in need, officials said. Kaiser will also invest in the technology
company to continue developing enhanced capabilities.
Thrive Local will
roll out in stages across Kaiser’s large geographic service areas. The
first phase will begin in summer of 2019. Within three years, the health
system aims to have the platform in place for all communities under its care.
Kaiser Permanente is
one of many health systems that has taken on the challenge of expanding care to
encompass the social determinants of health.
The healthcare
delivery network has made significant investments in community projects and
services in recent years, including launching its own medical school to train new
providers in population health management techniques.
Homelessness is a
particularly important issue for Kaiser, which has launched two other
initiatives in recent months to tackle the problem in California.
In January, Tyson announced a multi-million-dollar plan
to end homeless for 500 residents of Oakland, California, including the
acquisition of a housing complex that will be used as affordable housing for
vulnerable individuals.
“Access to affordable
housing is a key component to Kaiser Permanente’s mission to improve the health
of our members and the communities we serve and to advance the economic, social
and environmental conditions for health,” Tyson said.
A few months later,
Kaiser Permanente partnered with non-profit Community
Solutions to leverage real-time data analytics to reduce and prevent homelessness.
With $3 million over
three years, Kaiser and Community Solutions will work to increase housing
stability in 15 communities across multiple states, including California,
Virginia, Maryland, Hawaii, Colorado, and Georgia.
The new Thrive Local
initiative will expand upon this work and incorporate services that meet
additional needs for economically and socially vulnerable individuals.
Connecting clinical
data with socioeconomic and community data will offer unparalleled insights for
providers as they work to address patient needs more holistically, said Bechara
Choucair, MD, chief community health officer.
“By integrating this
network into our clinical care, our members with unmet social needs will be
connected to community services more efficiently,” he said.
“In addition, Thrive
Local will be open to community health centers and community-based
organizations to improve social health access for the entire community.”
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