|
|
News release: NationalNovember 16, 2004 For more information, call: Kaiser Permanente and Healthmedia, Inc. win prestigious C. Everett Koop National Health Award for 2004 Online program garners honorable mention, helps members control weight via personalized internet profile Oakland, CA – Kaiser Permanente today announced that the organization has won an Honorable Mention in the 2004 C. Everett Koop Award competition for its implementation of HealthMedia Balance®, a comprehensive weight management program designed to help members manage their weight, reduce obesity and improve their overall health. "Balance" empowers Kaiser Permanente members to take charge of their weight and physical fitness by providing a customized program and coaching them through their individual barriers to successful weight loss. Developed by Ann Arbor, Michigan-based HealthMedia, Inc., "Balance" was designed to address the nation's obesity crisis. Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute (KP-CMI) implemented "Balance" as one of four online Healthy Lifestyle programs currently available to members on the Kaiser Permanente website, www.kp.org. Other programs address smoking cessation, stress reduction and nutrition. Kaiser Permanente's online tools can be found at www.kp.org/totalhealth. "Balance" produces a customized strategy, tailored to the individual, based on a computer profile that members complete. To join, members simply log on to kp.org/healthylifestyles and fill out an online questionnaire about their current health status and motivation for participating in the program. Answers are used to create an action plan based on strategies and advice specific to the member's personality, preferences and needs. "We're proud that our efforts to help our members take charge of their health have been recognized by such a distinguished award," said Paul Wallace, MD, KP-CMI's Executive Director. "We're confident that the "Balance" fitness and weight-loss program is helping our members make lifestyle changes by supporting them in ways they find meaningful. "We see these online Healthy Lifestyle Programs and others—such as HealthPartners 10,000 Steps® Program—as a key way to help our members with their specific health and wellness goals. Our online tools also serve as yet another way to access a vast array of classes and support groups available through Kaiser Permanente," Dr. Wallace said. Since 1994, the C. Everett Koop National Health Award has recognized worksite, community and provider programs that demonstrate success in promoting better health among individuals and reduced medical costs. The award is named for the former US Surgeon General, who serves as current chairman of the award's sponsor, The Health Project, a non-profit, private-public consortium dedicated to those goals. General Motors (GM) Corporation/United Auto Workers (UAW) was the only other organization, among more than 20 entrants, selected to receive the award this year. The Kaiser Permanente Healthy Lifestyle Programs are part of a larger consumer awareness effort launched in August to empower people to live healthier lives. Based on research acknowledging that Americans are not only seeking healthcare but also total health, this effort promotes Kaiser Permanente's continuing mission to help prevent disease, not just treat it. Multiple award-winning site The C. Everett Koop recognition is the latest in a series of awards for the Kaiser Permanente website. The organization took home two silver awards at the Spring 2004 World Wide Web Awards competition. From a field or more than 1,100 competitors, kaiserpermanente.org was awarded two silver certificates—Miscellaneous Consumer and All Adults 21+ years—in the Health Promotion/Disease & Injury Prevention Information class, and two silver certificates (Miscellaneous Consumer and All Adults 21+ years) in the Patient Education and Information class. Organized by the Health Information Resource Center, the World Wide Web Awards were created to recognize the best health-related websites for consumers and health care professionals. Sites were judged on accuracy, success in reaching the targeted audience and overall quality. The Kaiser Permanente website is a four-time winner of the ehealthcare Leadership Award, including the 2003 Gold Award for Web design. The site also garnered "Best Design Consumer Portal" honors in the 2004 Medicine on the Net Awards. About Kaiser Permanente Kaiser Permanente is America's leading integrated health plan. Founded in 1945, it is a not-for-profit, group practice prepayment program with headquarters in Oakland, Calif. Kaiser Permanente serves the health care needs of some 8.2 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Today it encompasses the not-for-profit Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and their subsidiaries, and the for-profit Permanente Medical Groups. Nationwide, Kaiser Permanente includes approximately 134,000 technical, administrative and clerical employees and more than 12,000 physicians representing all specialties.
|
