Permanente Medicine in Action

Top Marks for Clinical Effectiveness

Inside KP-November 1, 2017

For the 10th consecutive year, Kaiser Permanente Northern and Southern California are the only health plans in the state to earn a 4-star rating — the highest possible — for overall clinical effectiveness in the annual Healthcare Quality Report Card from California’s Office of the Patient Advocate (OPA).

The 2017 to 2018 report card provides California consumers with side-by-side comparisons of the largest HMOs and PPOs in the state. It ranks them on national standard-of-care measures that involve treatment and prevention of a range of conditions that have significant implications for personal health. Ten of the state’s largest HMOs and 5 PPOs are compared in the report card, and Kaiser Permanente is the only organization with the top possible rating for overall clinical performance measures.

This year, Kaiser Permanente Northern California earned top scores for overall quality of medical care, which includes earning the state’s only 4-star plan for behavioral and mental health. The plan also received 4 stars for heart, maternity, and diabetes care, checking for cancer, chlamydia screening, and “getting the right care” for children.

“This rating demonstrates that our integrated model of care and coverage results in healthier and happier members,” said Janet Liang, president, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “Our care teams make safe, high-quality care a top priority.”

In addition, Kaiser Permanente in both Northern and Southern California received 3 stars in the “Patients Rate their Experience” category, which measures members’ satisfaction with their care and service.

“The combination of exceptional physicians, integration, and advanced technology is helping us save lives every day,” said Richard S. Isaacs, MD, executive director and CEO of The Permanente Medical Group. “I’m very proud of all of our physicians and staff who together have created superior quality outcomes for our patients, which is very deserving of this 4-star rating.”

This article originally appeared in Inside KP

2017-11-09T21:01:41+00:00