The Permanente Federation 2024 Annual Report
Highlighting a year of innovation and exploration
The Permanente Federation 2024 Annual Report spotlights the collaboration and hard work of many dedicated people and teams throughout the year.
Our achievements were possible due to the unwavering dedication of more than 25,000 Permanente physicians and over 95,000 medical support and administrative staff who deliver on the promise of Permanente Medicine. Together, we worked hard to improve quality health care measures, deliver care where and when it’s needed most, and provide the best possible care experience for 12.4 million Kaiser Permanente members.
Working on behalf of the Permanente Medical Groups (PMGs) and in partnership with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals (KFHP/H), the people of the Federation came together to improve the health of the people and communities we serve while utilizing technology in new ways to distinguish Kaiser Permanente as a leader in high-quality, value-based care.
Hawaii Permanente Medical Group
Hawaii Permanente Medical Group (HPMG) played a vital role in reestablishing Kaiser Permanente’s clinic presence in Lahaina, less than 8 months after fires destroyed old Lahaina town. The innovative new Lahaina Clinic stands as a symbol of resilience and recovery in Maui.
HPMG was honored with more Castle Connolly Top Doctors (293) than any other health system in Hawaii. HPMG was also nationally ranked for AAPI Top Doctors, highlighting its commitment to representing the diverse community we serve.
Established in 2004, HPMG’s viral hepatitis clinic celebrated the cure of its 1,000th member with hepatitis. In addition to offering life-changing treatments, the clinic offers universal hepatitis C antibody screening for Hawaii members.
Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group
Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (MAPMG) successfully integrated AI tools to enhance cancer diagnosis and treatment, particularly in analyzing breast tissue. The group welcomed over 200 new physicians to the practice in 2024, reflecting its ongoing success in recruitment.
In 2024, regional publications honored more than 600 MAPMG physicians as Top Doctors. Additionally, Kaiser Permanente in the Mid-Atlantic maintained its exemplary quality care standards, earning a 5-star rating from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for its commercial health insurance plan. This rating recognizes outstanding patient care, treatment, prevention, and patient experience.
New frontiers in patient-centered medicine
The Federation supported more direct and efficient patient-centered care by helping PMGs implement new tools like the MyChart information management system and ambient listening artificial intelligence (AI) for clinical documentation. Advancements were also made in at-home care decision-support tools that help patients get the best possible care where and when it’s needed most.
Meeting patient needs and exceeding expectations
In 2024 the Federation focused on implementing best practices to better meet patient needs. Central to this effort was the collaboration of PMG access and experience leaders to develop new strategies aimed at improving timeliness of care and strengthening connections between physicians and patients.
Northwest Permanente
Northwest Permanente (NWP) closed 2024 with several notable achievements. U.S. News & World Report recognized Kaiser Permanente’s Westside and Sunnyside Medical Centers for “Best Hospitals for Maternity Care.” The Westside Medical Center was the only Oregon hospital recognized for its success in supporting Black maternal health.
The Center for Black Health and Wellness expanded its team by hiring 3 new physicians. The center aims to improve the health of Black members, close care gaps, and elevate the patient experience by providing culturally responsive care and best practices.
NWP was honored to receive the James A. Vohs Quality Award for a community health navigation pilot program and the David M. Lawrence, MD, Patient Safety Award for its efforts in a postpartum hemorrhage reduction initiative, achieving a 33% decrease in post-partum hemorrhage since the project began.
NWP shareholders voted overwhelmingly in favor of affiliation with The Permanente Medical Group — a partnership expected to strengthen the ability of both medical groups to advance the promise of Permanente Medicine.
Southern California Permanente Medical Group
Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) developed and launched several initiatives to improve the patient care experience. The Get Care Now on-demand patient care program topped 1.6 million visits since 2021, achieving an industry-leading 88% member satisfaction rate (92% for those 17 and younger) for its Net Promoter Score. Additionally, innovative programs like Advanced Medical Care at Home and Care Without Delay increased patient care capacity.
SCPMG focused on health care innovation, leading the national deployment of Abridge, a clinical documentation tool designed to enable physicians to spend less time on administrative work and maximize time for patient care.
Other examples of innovation at SCPMG include the Rx Auth Program, which enables pharmacists to support adult primary care physicians with prescription refill requests, and a message management initiative that allows physicians to opt out of receiving notifications about normal lab results in their in-basket.
Leading conversations and fostering joy in medicine
To expand the influence of Permanente Medicine nationally, the Federation secured more public platforms for its co-CEOs to share valuable perspectives and address pressing health care issues. This included commentaries on restoring patient trust and advancing value-based care, as well as appearing on the Modern Healthcare list of most influential executives for 2024.
Advancing equity and influencing change
Kaiser Permanente’s research-based approach for advancing equitable care included a workgroup co-led by the Federation and KFHP/H to align equity data across the organization. The Federation also collaborated with KFHP/H on producing and presenting outcome measures to promote equitable care in cancer, cardiovascular disease, mental health, and women’s and children’s health.
The Permanente Medical Group
The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) introduced AI scribe technology and the MyChart communication center, enhancing administrative support for physicians. AI scribe technology saved over 2,700 charting hours per day for clinicians.
TPMG also rolled out RESET (Reward Efficiency, Set Priorities, and Empower Teams) to all adult and family medicine departments. RESET gives physicians tools to help manage their panel, focus on outcomes, and gain flexibility and control over their schedules. This opt-in program has consistently driven performance improvements in quality, care experience, affordability, and utilization.
TPMG continued to make strides in eliminating racial inequities. The medical group reduced disparities in hypertension control between white and Black patients by about 33 percent, and in diabetes control between white and Latino patients by approximately 25 percent.
For the second year in a row, all three Kaiser Permanente Northern California cardiac surgery hubs — Sacramento, San Francisco, and Santa Clara medical centers — received 3 stars from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for isolated coronary artery bypass graft, the highest-quality rating a hospital or surgical practice can receive for patient care and outcomes in cardiac surgery.
The Southeast Permanente Medical Group
The Southeast Permanente Medica Group saw a notable increase in the use of a new clinical documentation assistance tool integrated with Kaiser Permanente’s electronic health record system. Overall, 68% of clinicians have adopted this tool.
Kaiser Permanente in Georgia was the top performer across all markets in 8 of the 9 Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems categories. Primary care patients rated satisfaction with care access at 9.05/10, surpassing the 2024 target goal of 9.0.
In 2024, Kaiser Permanente in Georgia experienced robust growth driven by membership increases in the individual market. They finished the year with 326,000 members, surpassing the goal set at the beginning of the year by more than 12,000 members.
Growing to better support patients and physicians
Working to expand the profile of Permanente Medicine, the Federation made enhancements to its analytical and performance capabilities. Federation teams provided analytical consultation for clinical topics to support marketing and strategic customer analytics efforts.
