For 75 years, Kaiser Permanente’s unwavering mission and foundational values have led us to embrace diversity and pursue equality. Our organization started in the shipyards with women and men, including those of color, working as equal members of industry-leading teams. I’m proud to say that in the 1940s, when hospitals were segregated, our hospitals actively built diverse teams of employees and physicians and had integrated wards, and all our patients were treated equally regardless of race. At Kaiser Permanente, we’ve always believed that everyone has a right to thrive. We see a future where our members and the people in our communities experience more healthy years so they can live the lives they want — to learn, to work, to play, to love.

Kaiser Permanente is committed to achieving equity and inclusion for all people. We must acknowledge racism as a public health issue and continue to help eradicate all forms of inequities and injustices that create and sustain preventable health disparities. As we talk about social determinants of health, systemic racism and social injustice must be accounted for in our vocabulary, consciousness, and intentional actions.