Kaiser Permanente Department of Research & Evaluation

Learn how a failed chemistry exam led Dr. Robert Sallis, a sports medicine physician at the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center, to go into medicine. He now conducts award-winner research as well! Check out his story: https://lnkd.in/ga2Nt4EX

High-dose and adjuvanted influenza vaccines boosted protection against flu symptoms and hospitalization for people 65 years and older during the 2022-2023 flu season compared to the standard flu vaccine. The Kaiser Permanente study was published this week in Clinical Infectious Diseases. Lead author was Jennifer Ku, PhD, and senior author: Hung Fu Tseng, PhD, FACE, FIDSA , of the Kaiser Permanente Department of Research & Evaluation. Read about the study and find link to published research here: https://lnkd.in/d73U6Hgb

At Kaiser Permanente Southern California, our research stretches across many areas of human health. Our current IMPACT newsletter, which highlights some or our most recent research and accolades, is a great example of the broad range of studies we engage in. Stories highlight research assessing the association between soda taxes and children’s weight, vegetables on bladder cancer, benefits of at-home fecal tests against colon cancer deaths, exercise and COVID outcomes, advances in reducing high cholesterol, and more. And it’s not just scientists doing the work. The insight our physicians receive working with patients adds to the depth of the knowledge our research department brings to the world. You can read about one such doctor in a Q&A with Dr. Robert Sallis. Please check it out. And while there, sign up for it to show up in your email! https://lnkd.in/gX6wH5DQ

We are honored to have the UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Atlas trophy gracing the entry of our Walnut Center headquarters building in Pasadena, Calif. Kaiser Permanente Southern California won the award for its effort lowering high cholesterol among patients. The trophy will remain for a few months in the headquarter lobby before traveling to another of 3 winning sites. Our recognized effort — the SureNet Statin Start program — won the prestigious UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Award for a program that has helped patients with high levels of “bad cholesterol” start taking medications to lower their cholesterol and decrease their risk of strokes and heart attacks. Evaluation of the program was published in April 2023 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The award recognized those who led the evaluation of the program, including Tracy Imley, MD, CPHQ, CPPS, Michael H. Kanter, M.D., Matthew Mefford, PhD., Ronald Scott, MD, and Kristi Reynolds, PhD, MPH. The gold and silver emblem on the trophy is based on the custom design of the individual winning trophies awarded to the top 3 teams each year. The base includes a magnetized oval plate that enables site recognition upon placement at each location. The base plates feature all site names for the most recent year at the front with previous years on sides and back. Thus, every winner has 4 years of recognition as this trophy travels the globe, honoring winning sites each year. You can read more about the award https://lnkd.in/g95QafAw Photo: Bettina Virtusio, Senior Manager, Graduate Medical Education Administration & Research

Hear Dr. Deborah Rohm Young's interview with NBC about her latest published research, "City-Level Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes and Youth Body Mass Index Percentile." Here is the research, published in JAMA Network Open: https://lnkd.in/gjA-FUZC Here is the interview: https://lnkd.in/gY77k7b4 Congratulations Dr. Young on a great TV interview!

After 4 California cities began taxing sugar-sweetened beverages, young people in those cities had lower body mass index (BMI) compared to young people living in cities without the tax, a new Kaiser Permanente study shows. “The findings of our study demonstrate that SSB (sugar-sweetened beverage) excise taxes may be associated with lower BMI percentile among youth,” said the study’s lead author Deborah Rohm Young, PhD, MBA, director of the Division of Behavioral Research at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. The study was published in the JAMA Network Open. You can read about it here: https://lnkd.in/gM3MjGvE #sodatax #obesity #childobesity #healthresearch #KPResearch

An analysis of Kaiser Permanente patients in California found a 33% reduced risk of dying from colorectal cancer among those completing at least one at-home fecal immunochemical test (FIT) screening. The study was published in JAMA Network Open. Kaiser Permanente Southern California began its organized colorectal cancer screening program with annual mailings of FIT kits to eligible members in 2007. Read more at https://lnkd.in/gBa2tuqf

We're #hiring a new Post Doctoral Fellow, Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Epidemiology in Pasadena, California. Apply today or share this post with your network.

Hear from the winners of the #UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Award about their program that lowered high cholesterol among Kaiser Permanente Southern California members. https://lnkd.in/gm8pTqnb

We're thrilled to celebrate the outstanding achievement of the dedicated team behind our SureNet Statin Start program. This program has been recognized with a prestigious UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Award, and even more importantly, has significantly improved the lives of patients with high cholesterol, enhancing their prospects for longer and healthier lives. The SureNet program, which began over 15 years ago at Kaiser Permanente Southern California, has grown to encompass more than 70 vital initiatives aimed at bridging gaps in patient care. The Statin Start program specifically addresses the critical issue of statin initiation among patients with very high cholesterol levels. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of clinicians, pharmacy teams, researchers, and laboratory leaders, the program has been a success. Evaluation of the program, which was published in April 2023, showed strong improvement in receipt of high-intensity statin orders among those who needed them most. * These patients were 32% more likely to fill their statin prescriptions. * They were 41% more likely to complete necessary follow-up lab tests. * They were 21% more likely to lower their LDL cholesterol These outcomes underscore the profound impact of focusing on statin therapy, highlighting the expertise and dedication of everyone involved. The award recognizes those who led the evaluation, including Tracy Imley, MD, CPHQ, CPPS; Michael H. Kanter, MD; Matthew Mefford, PhD; Ronald Scott, MD; and Kristi Reynolds, MD, MPH. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to them as well as the teams whose commitment have made this achievement possible. To learn more: Read about the award: https://lnkd.in/gJJRdD6a Read the story about the work in AboutKP: https://lnkd.in/gV6KzcY3 Watch the video: https://lnkd.in/gm8pTqnb Pictured from left to right: Dr. Reynolds, Dr. Mefford, Dr. Kanter, Dr. Imley, Dr. Scott.