Last year marked the Center for Total Health’s 8th year as a dedicated space for organizations big and small to come together under one roof to share, collaborate, ideate, and bring life to innovative ideas that improve total health and address major global health challenges.
We welcomed nearly 10,000 visitors from across the U.S. and the world in 2019, including the University of Bayreuth in Germany, Poland’s Ministry of Health, and China’s National Healthcare Security Administration. What’s more, the Center for Total Health:
- Hosted 256 events
- Hosted 112 tours
- Was rated 4 stars or higher in satisfaction (out of 5) by 96% of its visitors
Glimpse of Our Key Events
Of the 256 events the Center for Total Health hosted in 2019, a few notable ones include:
- DC Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Annual Maternal-Child Health Summit: On behalf of the Office of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, Permanente physicians convened a summit on “Hypertensive Disorders in the Perinatal Period,” to educate attendees about these disorders, which are the one of the top causes of infant mortality.
- DC Hospital Association Opioid Summit: Amid the ongoing opioid crisis, we convened healthcare organizations, hospital staff, community providers, and peer recovery coaches for the DCHA Opioid Summit. Keynote speaker, Dr. Gregory Khan-Arthur of Kaiser Permanente shared his thoughts on how to address the crisis through reduction strategies for prescription opioids.
- National Association of Black Journalists’ Health and Education Institute: Permanente physicians offered thoughtful expertise to award-winning journalists from NABJ’s Health and Education Institute, policy officials, and other experts, who came together to share best practices for covering the healthcare and education industries. Our physicians shared key insights on disparities in care, black maternal mortality, and adverse childhood events.
Our Areas of Impact
As we move further into 2020 and beyond, the Center for Total Health continues to align our efforts with national community health initiatives across Kaiser Permanente, which includes social health, housing for health, thriving schools, charity care, Medicaid, economic opportunity, CityHealth, and environmental stewardship. Some of the initiatives we convened around these areas include:
- Coalition for Non-profit Housing and Economic Development
- Northern VA Affordable Housing Alliance
- Resilience in School Environments Understanding and Practice (RISE UP)
- Healthy Students, Promising Futures (a collaborative led by Trust for America’s Health and The Healthy Schools Campaign)
- U.S. Surgeon General’s National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention
- International Initiative for Mental Health Leadership, a world-wide convening of mental health professionals
This was one of our most successful years to date, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the leadership of Bernard J. Tyson, Kaiser Permanente’s former CEO and Chairman, who passed away in November of 2019. A healthcare visionary, Mr. Tyson was a key architect of the Center for Total Health and worked tirelessly to deliver accessible health care, build healthier communities, and improve total health –mind, body, and spirit — for all. We dedicate this year’s accomplishments to him, and take comfort and pride in the knowledge that his legacy is the foundation for our continued success.
