Voices abroad: Kaiser Permanente leaders at conferences around the world
Summits, conferences, workshops, forums. No matter what the industry, we seek out opportunities to connect, to learn, to be inspired about our specific field. And, we create these experiences to share a message with a broader audience. KP International hosts programs for small groups at Kaiser Permanente locations, offering a deeper look at how we are structured and how our integrated care model works. To reinforce some of our practices and lessons learned with a larger audience, we often have leaders from Kaiser Permanente speak at venues in other countries.
In 2019, we have had the opportunity to participate in convenings in Brazil, Canada, China, and Switzerland to share how Kaiser Permanente approaches health care delivery. Each international engagement enables Kaiser Permanente to reflect on our model while understanding the many common challenges we face in health care, regardless of country.
Key themes shared in these convenings were:
Primary care is at the foundation of the Kaiser Permanente model. Building trust and confidence through a strong primary care physician and patient relationship is critical to supporting a patient’s health. Dr. Patrick Courneya spoke about this at an NEJM Catalyst conference in Shanghai in April. View his comments here.
Physician leadership is also fundamental to the Kaiser Permanente model. As more health care systems look to improve outcomes while reducing costs, Kaiser Permanente stands out by engaging physicians in a model based on salaries, not fee-for-service care. Dr. Deb Friesen shared her experience as a Kaiser Permanente physician leader with the Swiss Medical Network in Bern in September. Learn more about the key elements of physician leadership.
From the earliest days of Kaiser Permanente, there has been a tremendous focus on understanding patient data. Read the story of our early multiphasic clinics. Karin Cooke had the opportunity to share our history of leveraging data with Brazilian health care leaders at the Health Innovation Show 2019 in Sao Paulo in September.
Seamless transitions through the continuum of care, including addressing the social determinants of health, is increasingly important as care moves outside medical facilities and into the home and community. In October, Trish Rodriguez shared at an Ontario, Canada conference how we are approaching the evolving landscape, supporting members across the full continuum of care.
These convenings reached hundreds or thousands of individuals. It is an honor to be part of these efforts to inspire and encourage change. As Kaiser Permanente continually works to improve health care for our members and communities, sharing where we’ve been and where we are headed is an important part of the journey.
If you are interested in having a Kaiser Permanente expert present at your international conference, please reach out to KP International.
