To aid public health organizations that are combating the spread of COVID-19, Kaiser Permanente contributed $1 million to strengthen the organizations’ infrastructure and response systems.
“Public-private collaboration and intergovernmental coordination are critically important in creating effective outbreak response,” Dr. Bechara Choucair, chief health officer at Kaiser Permanente, said in a news release. “These groups have immense breadth and depth of experience addressing public health issues and can ensure alignment with the health care ecosystem.”
These organizations will include the American Public Health Association; Association of State and Territorial Health Officials; Big Cities Health Coalition; Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists; and six others.
In times of responding to public health threats, these organizations work closely with state and local health officials to help address and provide relief to these threats.
The donation will help allow the organizations to focus on sharing emerging evidence and data, aligning on effective protocols and policies, and cascading accurate information as it becomes available — as well as quickly debunking misinformation, the release said.
In an attempt to elicit money and compromise individuals’ information, scammers have begun spreading false information pertaining to a “cure” or “treatment” of the virus that is available, when in fact there’s no cure available at this time, according to a Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office news release.
“(P)hilanthropic and private sector donations, such as this generous gift from Kaiser Permanente, can be used alongside government funds to extend response efforts and meet rapidly emerging needs, including those with organizations supporting state, local, county and territorial health officials,” Judy Monroe, president and CEO of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation, said in the release.
At this time, Kaiser is closely monitoring and following health and safety guidance established by the CDC, according to a Kaiser news release posted Friday.
“As a leading health care provider with a deep commitment to community health, Kaiser Permanente is proud to support these organizations to safeguard health and mitigate the impact of the virus in our communities,” Cynthia Telles, Community Health Committee chair for the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals Boards of Directors, said in the release.
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