Extending Health Beyond the Medical Offices: Promoting Total Community Health

Kaiser Permanente Colorado is the state's largest nonprofit health plan, providing comprehensive health care services to 480,000 members through 20 medical offices and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. In 2009, Kaiser Permanente directed more than $65 million to community benefit programs to improve the health of all Coloradans. Kaiser Permanente promotes the charge that good health extends beyond the medical offices. Good health for the entire community – which we call Total Community Health – requires equity and social and economic well-being. It begins with healthy environments: fresh fruits and vegetables in neighborhood stores, successful schools, clean air, accessible parks, and safe playgrounds. Our work is driven by our conviction that good health is a fundamental right shared by all, and by our heritage of prevention and health promotion. To that end, we share our assets – our financial resources, research, physicians, and clinical practices. Kaiser Permanente champions its role in health and partners with other like minded organizations to address social and environmental injustices that lead to poor health outcomes. This discussion will share how Kaiser Permanente Colorado embraces this leadership by providing examples of how Kaiser Permanente investments work to address disparities, access to care and coverage, and community health. Policy briefs recently released by Kaiser Permanente's Institute of Health Policy: Sustainable Food Procurement and Agriculture Policy: Making the Case for Health Sector Engagement and A Health Sector Guide to Food System and Agricultural Policy will be highlighted.