Kaiser ranked 7th by Diversity Inc

Kaiser Permanente Ranked No. 7 on DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity(R)
PRESS RELEASE

OAKLAND, Calif. March 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente was ranked No. 7 on the 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity(R) list, up 36 spots from the pervious year. Kaiser Permanente was the only health care organization ranked in the top 20 of this prestigious list.

A total of 401 companies, an increase of 14 percent from last year, vied for the honor this year, underscoring the increasing emphasis on diversity management among progressive companies.

"At Kaiser Permanente, diversity management is a core value and an indisputable business imperative that is central to achieving our mission and business goals," says Ronald Knox, senior vice president and chief diversity officer at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. "We are grateful for DiversityInc's recognition of our diversity efforts and commitment and honored to be included among the nation's corporate leaders in diversity."

"Kaiser Permanente is one of the unsung heroes in corporate diversity. It's been a diversity leader for many years, the type of company others quietly sought out for diversity advice and best practices. Its surge on this list is indicative of its increasing ability to let the world, including us, in on what makes it such a great company for diversity," said Luke Visconti, CEO of DiversityInc.

A key factor in Kaiser Permanente's success was the involvement of chairman and chief executive officer of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, George C. Halvorson, whose direct reports are 14.3 percent Black, 14.3 Asian American, 4.8 percent Latino and 42.9 percent women. Kaiser Permanente also has one of the most diverse boards anywhere: 21 percent Black, 14.5 percent Latino, 14.5 percent Asian American and 36 percent women.