Culturally Responsive Care; at Kaiser Permanente, it’s personal.

“So what draws people to Kaiser Permanente?” It’s a simple question with a surprisingly consistent answer. True, we have an ambitious diversity recruitment program and career advancement opportunities, but people come to Kaiser Permanente because they want to make a difference in their workplace and their community. We’ve been doing it for more than 60 years. It’s a place where a Latino employee, a nurse, or physician, can reach for their personal goals, and can challenge us in turn. This brings out the best in people, and brings the best people to us. Together, we thrive.

It’s this dedication to making lives better that weaves its way through our stories. Dr. Myriam Pérez is just one example. Myriam was a high school student in our Summer Youth Employment Program when she was impressed not only by the expertise of a brilliant surgeon, but also by his devotion to his patients. Today, Dr. Pérez is a pediatrician, a wife and mother of three. She mentors students, and volunteers her time, caring for needy families at a local community clinic, showing the same compassionate spirit that inspired her to become a doctor. This commitment to making a difference is an underlying theme throughout our work.

You can see it in our labor-management partnership where unions and managers come together to improve not only worker safety but employee satisfaction. You can see it in our employees who decades ago laid the groundwork for our Latino, African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Armenian, Native American, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender and Employees with Disabilities associations. We all work side by side, promoting a ‘culture of collaboration’ in our community work, where the issue of racial and ethnic health disparities is a top priority.

Our research shows us that more than a third of all Latino families lack health insurance, while chronic illnesses like obesity, diabetes and heart disease are far more prevalent in this community. We are at the forefront with innovative plans designed to improve access to quality care for vulnerable populations. And many of the women and men who step up to do this important work bring with them an extra spark, a passion. It comes from their lives, family experiences and cultural empathy. At the heart of it all, it’s personal.

It’s personal for the nurse who remembers the heavy weight on her shoulders when, as a 10-year-old, she had to translate medical instructions for her parents. It’s personal for the oncologist who vowed at age 8 to become a physician because his mother died of undiagnosed breast cancer. It’s personal every time a patient walks through the door.

The receptionist, the nurse, our entire staff want you to feel that you’re being cared for by someone who understands. When you see a Latina physician; a Spanish-speaking Asian pharmacist, or a nurse who shares your belief in the power of a warm bowl of caldo de pollo, you are getting the highest quality of health care, in your language, and with respect for your culture at every point of contact. We call it Culturally Responsive Care, and as a patient, you deserve no less.

At Kaiser Permanente, much is being accomplished, but there is still much to do. So we’ll keep asking the hard questions, listening, learning and challenging ourselves, always working on solutions to better meet the needs of our employees, our member-patients and our communities. This is who we are; this is what we do.

On behalf of our many talented Latinas, our staff, our mentors, and our Kaiser Permanente member-families, thank you for naming us “Company of the Year.” Sinceramente, ¡mil gracias! ¡Viva Bien!

To learn more about Kaiser Permanente’s history, work in the community, and employee benefits, go to www.kaiserpermanentejobs.org/aboutus_community.asp and http://www.kaiserpermanentejobs.org/.

By Diana M. Bontá, Dr. PH, RN, Vice President, Public Affairs, Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region.