Kaiser Permanente joins White House in vaccination efforts

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest integrated, nonprofit health care provider, is joining the White House for its National Month of Action sprint to vaccinate 70% of adults in the U.S. against COVID-19 with at least one shot by July 4. By launching several programs and incentives to engage unvaccinated individuals, Kaiser Permanente is aiming to increase confidence in the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine and provide easy access to receive it.

With a presence in eight U.S. states and the District of Columbia, Kaiser Permanente is well-positioned to accelerate this final vaccine push by connecting with millions of Americans who are not yet vaccinated.

“The U.S. vaccination effort has been a tremendous and inspiring undertaking, and Kaiser Permanente is proud to have played our part to quickly and safely protect Americans from the most immediate threat to the health of our nation,” Kaiser Permanente Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Greg A. Adams said in a news release. “From standing up mass vaccination sites to deploying mobile clinics that have reached the most vulnerable populations, we’ve made every effort to vaccinate our communities. There are still many Americans who have yet to be vaccinated, and we’ve designed these new programs to increase vaccination rates so we can reach the critical milestone of 70% vaccination rate by July 4.”

Kaiser Permanente’s new initiatives include:

♦ $10 million in community grants: Kaiser Permanente is targeting 100 community-based organizations to receive funding to continue to promote vaccine confidence messages and engage organizations such as churches, schools and other trusted community hubs. This funding is in addition to our prior investment of $25 million in nearly 200 community-based organizations to increase vaccine access and build confidence in high-risk populations.

♦ ImmUNITY sweepstakes: Open to anyone age 12 and older who has been vaccinated by Kaiser Permanente and all vaccinated Kaiser Permanente members — regardless of where they got vaccinated — this sweepstakes will encourage vaccination while also supporting a full and healthy return to life’s activities. One thousand people will win Be Well Rewards that include wellness retreats, healthy home meal deliveries, personal training equipment, gym memberships, and family trips to theme parks and national parks.

♦ Influencer and social media campaign: Reaching an online audience of 18- to 30-year-olds, this campaign will deliver relevant messaging from trusted voices and social influencers. Activities will include social engagement programs with existing partners, including the Cloud9 esports team.

♦ Member and community education: Continued outreach to Kaiser Permanente members and broader communities will deliver trusted messaging on COVID-19 vaccination and safety that expands the organization’s ongoing work to prioritize outreach to black, Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and other disproportionately impacted communities.

♦ Publication of a vaccine confidence toolkit: This toolkit focuses on improving vaccine access and equity and highlights Kaiser Permanente’s proven approaches, including the use of trusted messengers and population health strategies to encourage vaccination. The toolkit is intended to share best practices to help other health systems and vaccine providers accelerate vaccination rates.

♦ Population-based care: For unvaccinated eligible people, Kaiser Permanente is using culturally relevant emails, mailings and texts to encourage vaccination. Messages are tailored to individuals and populations including from our providers and employees who reflect the people of their community.

♦ Personalized physician outreach: When unvaccinated Kaiser Permanente members see their physician and care team in person, we are using prompts to discuss vaccination in a personalized venue. When patients come to our pharmacies and labs, they can use conveniently placed posters with QR codes to access our vaccine clinics that are now available on a walk-in basis.

Kaiser Permanente has been effectively vaccinating its employees, members and communities for the past six months. With its scale and extensive experience in population health, the organization has partnered broadly with cities, states and other municipalities, as well as with community organizations and federally qualified health centers, to safely and equitably administer nearly 7 million shots. As some of the first eligible to receive vaccinations, Kaiser Permanente’s health care workers, with support from our labor partners, played an essential role in encouraging others to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

“We are making it easier than ever for people to get the vaccine,” Dr. Stephen Parodi, executive vice president of The Permanente Federation, said. “Our own clinics are open on a walk-in basis, in addition to scheduling appointments. We are also in our communities with pop-up clinics at parks, community centers, and churches just to name a few options.”

According to the White House, 63% of adult Americans had been vaccinated as of June 2, including 73% of Americans age 40 and over. COVID-19 cases and deaths have plummeted as a result, with cases falling more than 90% since January 20. Deaths are down over 85% in that time period. Nearly 600,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in early 2020.