Becker's Hospital Review

66 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP How does Kaiser Permanente decide which public health causes to invest in? We asked CEO Bernard J. Tyson By Emily Rappleye H ospitals and health sys- tems still play a largely indeterminate role in population health. Not Kaiser Permanente. The sprawling Oakland, Ca- lif.-based nonprofit health sys- tem has carefully been advanc- ing a population health strategy that touches the social, environ- mental, economic and physical aspects of health. To name a few strides this year: In May, the system invest- ed $200 million in programs to prevent and reduce home- lessness and address approaches to affordable housing. In April, Kaiser Permanente invested $2 million in gun vio- lence research. In June, it struck a partnership with Atlan- ta-based Emory Healthcare to reduce healthcare dispar- ities in Georgia. In September, it pledged to go carbon neutral by 2020 to help foster healthier environmental conditions. "Our line of sight is around population health, individual health and community health," Bernard J. Tyson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, told Becker's Hospital Re- view. "We know now that creating more health through those vehicles and those opportunities has a direct impact on the individual's health. And when we talk about health, we're talking about physical and mental. Managing stress and mental challenges is as critically important as manag- ing diabetes or heart disease." Becker's caught up with Mr. Tyson to discuss Kaiser Per- manente's population health strategy, from prioritizing needs to measuring success. Note: Responses have been edited lightly for length and style. Question: Kaiser Permanente has been busy strik- ing partnerships and investing in various population health initiatives and research. What is the overarching strategy driving these investments, and how has that strategy changed in 2018 compared to years prior? Bernard J. Tyson: We have always been engaged in our communities, and we have provided community benefits for years. Our model is set up to build the best health pos- sible for our communities. How we have evolved over time is more the transition from, "How do we contribute?" to "What's our integral role in helping to solve?" In terms of our overall strategy, we believe and know now that health is determined by critical factors outside of the "medical care extreme." We provide both healthcare and coverage, and we are also a mega-health system. The question is how do we connect our competencies, capabilities and resources to community assets to produce value for the entire commu- nity and for the communities in which we serve? Therein lies our strategy for community health. We know where you live matters in terms of the overall effect on your health. We know what you eat matters. If you don't have healthy venues to buy healthy foods, your risk of devel- oping certain illnesses and diseases earlier in your life is highly probable. We know exercise is critical to maintain- ing, regaining and having good health. If your environ- ment is such that it's unsafe to go outside to exercise and move freely around, or if the community lacks those kinds of infrastructures, you will have a hard time exercising. It's those kinds of direct connections back to healthy lives that we've rallied around. Q: With so many social, economic and health issues out there to be addressed — and for a system as sweep- ing as Kaiser Permanente, with a range of needs across markets — how does the health system prioritize issues and communities to invest in? BJT: There are a lot of commonalities around the factors of good health. The issue is the inequities of our commu- nities around the country. The solutions must be tailored to their priorities and needs. For example, we have a uni- versal, accepted understanding that healthy eating con- "The question is how do we connect our competencies, capabilities and resources to community assets to produce value for the entire community and for the communities in which we serve?" — Bernard J. Tyson, Chairman and CEO, Kaiser Permanente

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