The health care landscape is changing and Kaiser Permanente is not one to be left behind, announcing its plans to open a medical school in Southern California.
The Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine is part of the health plan provider's ongoing effort to not just meet but lead in addressing U.S. health care demands. As an extension of the Kaiser Permanente's existing approach, the medical school will be tasked with redesigning physician education in such a way that high-quality care is provided beyond the usual medical setups, that treatment decisions incorporate teamwork between doctors and that health disparities are addressed.
According to Bernard J. Tyson, chief executive officer and chairman of the Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc, opening the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine and influencing physician education was based on the belief that creating new health care models means reimagining how doctors are trained.
"Training a new generation of physicians ... demonstrates our belief that our model of care is best for the current and future diverse populations in this country," he said.
National Permanente leader and executive medical director of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group Edward M. Ellison, M.D., said that the medical school will be enhancing how the organization provides health care in the U.S. and beyond as newly graduated doctors will bring with them the knowledge and training they've acquired in the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine to wherever they may decide to practice. This will make the organization a catalyst in medical education in the same way that it has influenced for the better how care is provided to patients.
Today, over 600 new physicians are in the process of completing their residency at Kaiser Permanente, while several thousands more are under training in more than 50 affiliated programs. This shows that Kaiser Permanente does have the expertise, commitment and capacity to train a new generation of doctors and transform medical education.
"Kaiser Permanente is in a position to make important contributions," said George Thibault, M.D., president of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation. The foundation is the only one in the U.S. focused on improving public healthy by training and advancing the education of health professionals.
In the next months, Kaiser Permanente will be establishing the organizational structure and legal entity for the medical school. A specific location for the medical school has not been announced but it is scheduled to open in fall 2019. Recruitment for the founding dean will start in 2016.
As one of the leading health care providers in the U.S., Kaiser Permanente was founded in 1945. It currently serves over 10 million members across eight states and the District of Columbia.
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