Kaiser Permanente's total health environment.

s w l t w r p r p remember when Kaiser Permanente launched its Thrive campaign on television in 2004. As a long time California resident but somewhat shortererm Kaiser Permanente member, it struck e that this behemoth of an organization, stablished by Henry Kaiser in 1945 to are for the workers in his shipyards and teel mills, was now touting in its adverisements that they stood for Pilates, brocoli, dental floss, and treadmills. Long nown for its low-cost, dependable care or millions of Californians and others; its onprofit status; and its commitment to ommunity health, they took a bold stand n saying that health was not an industry ut a cause. So what did all this mean to s, the members of Kaiser Permanente? I alled my local Kaiser Permanente hospial and asked if I could come to a Pilates lass or if there was a treadmill I could use. nfortunately there wasn’t. So what was hrive and why was it launched? I posed that question to Patricia Gin, enior brand strategist at Kaiser Permaente, who has worked on the campaign ince its inception. She says that Thrive as an external expression of Kaiser Peranente’s commitment to “total health,” he result of several years of in-depth conumer market research into the public’s erceptions of health and healthcare. hey found that perceptions of healthcare elivery were often negative, expressed by ords such as red tape and paperwork, but ersonal health was viewed as more than ot being sick, and included lifestyle, life alance, and optimism. Soon Thrive helped galvanize many aiser Permanente initiatives, including he following: (1) food policy—promoting ealthy food choices in inpatient food serices, cafeterias, and vending machines; 2) farmer’s markets—25 facilities in the ountry have established on-campus farmr’s markets offering healthy produce to mployees and members; (3) health and ellness initiatives—classes provide intruction in exercise, yoga, tai chi, smokng cessation, mindfulness, and stress rei