June 22, 2021
In today’s update, you will find important information, including:
- Let’s Get Vaccinated! Just 2 Weeks to Hit Our Goal of 70%
- Join Today’s Live Audio Broadcast
- Reaffirming Our Commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity
- A Message from Jeff, Imelda, and John
- New Ways to Reach Communities of Color
- KPNW Joins Pride Parade with Float
- Vaccination Quick Facts
Let’s Get Vaccinated! Just 2 Weeks to Hit our Goal of 70%
Kaiser Permanente is part of the national effort to vaccinate 70% of American adults by July 4. With just 2 weeks to go, we are in the final sprint! Meanwhile, in KPNW, almost 78% of all hospital and health plan employees are vaccinated. This is impressive, but we know we can do better. If you haven’t gotten your shot, schedule one on kp.org and protect your health, your family, and our members, patients, and community. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine is the fastest way back to all the moments you’ve been missing.
And if you get vaccinated by July 9, you’ll be entered to win a prize in KP’s ImmUNITY Sweepstakes. This is available to anyone vaccinated by KP (members and non-members) and all vaccinated KP members, regardless of where they got vaccinated. Prizes include a family trip to Disneyland, a gym membership, and more!
Join Today’s Live Audio Broadcast
Don’t forget to join today’s LIVE audio broadcast, starting at 12:10 p.m. We’ll share the latest COVID-19 community and clinical vaccine updates and answer frequently asked questions. Here is the lineup:
- Welcome and Community Update | Dr. Mary Giswold
- KP Vaccine Update | Dr. Eric Warshaw
- Vaccine Hesitancy Discussion (fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding | Dr. Jason Hashima & Catherine Kent
- Clinical Vaccine Update | Dr. Katie Sharff
- Infection Prevention Update | Dr. Steve Spindel
- Q&A | All
- Closing | Wendy Watson
https://sparkstreetdigital.zoom.us/j/91660184663 (Audio only)
Dial In: +1 669 900 9128 Webinar ID: 916 6018 4663
Or iPhone one-tap: 32T+16699009128,,91660184663#
Reaffirming our Commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity
A Message from Jeff, Imelda, and John
A message from Jeff Collins, president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals of the Northwest; Imelda Dacones, MD, president and CEO, Northwest Permanente, P.C.; and John Snyder, DMD, executive dental director and CEO, Permanente Dental Associates, P.C.
Over the past year, our nation has seen a dramatic rise in violence against Black, Asian and Pacific Islander, Indigenous, and other communities of color, as well as the LGBTQ, Jewish, and Muslim communities. And the civil unrest we’ve seen in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, plus the collective trauma so many have endured during the pandemic, underscore the need to embrace equity, inclusion, and diversity as foundational and core to strengthening our organization.
Last week, our national Health Plan and Permanente Federation leaders shared a message that reaffirms our commitment to using our voice, resources, and influence to support equity for all people. The message was clear: There is no place in our communities or workplace for prejudice, racism, and hatred. Period. Continue reading the joint message here.
New Ways to Reach Communities of Color During COVID-19
In Oregon and Southwest Washington, about 1,500 people of color have full COVID-19 vaccine protection thanks to Tracy Dannen-Grace and her KPNW community health team. This work netted new ways of working – and was born of big need.
As the pandemic has made clearer, race and ethnicity matter when it comes to health. Black, Indigenous, and other people of color are more likely to get sick with COVID-19 and more likely to die from it. They’re also less likely to be vaccinated. In Oregon, only 42 percent of Latinx adults, 42 percent of Native American adults, and 43 percent of Black adults have received at least 1 vaccination, state health statistics show. In contrast, about 59 percent of white Oregon adults have received at least one shot.
To reduce COVID disparities, the community health team has supported 3 types of vaccine work this year. Learn how they’ve succeeded in reaching people of color in this story on insideKP.
KPNW Joins Pride Parade with Float
PNW took a greater role in this year’s Pride parade “All4Love, Love4All” – by entering our very own float! CEO Jeff Collins was joined by members of the KP PRIDE business resource group, who are backed by more than 450 members and allies who work year-round to promote an inclusive workplace.
Watch Sunday, June 27 at 4 pm: KOIN (channel 6) and the CW (channel 32) will broadcast the parade, along with special focus stories on each parade partner. Tune in for KP’s special vignette or watch any time on the Pride Northwest YouTube channel. And here is the behind the scenes video that will air on KOIN.
Vaccination Quick Facts
Here is a snapshot of the most current vaccination data as of June 21. KPNW health plan and hospital employees have hit 77.7%! How can we boost those numbers? Visit the COVID-19 Quick Facts Dashboard for up-to-date, key data on the virus and vaccines.
Weekly Testing Turnaround Times
The average routine COVID-19 testing turnaround time (TAT) for the week of June 14 to June 20 is 17.55 hours. Member communications, including kp.org and call center scripts, inform members that TAT is usually within 24-48 hours so they can plan accordingly for travel.
Words from Our Members
“Everybody has become so helpful and kind especially now when we are finally getting past this terrible COVID-19 pandemic—Kaiser Permanente excellence!”
“I love the convenience of video conference and hope it continues after COVID is a memory. My doctor is the best there is!”