Permanente Impact Fall 2021

PERMANENTE

Fall 2021

Celebrating our people

A Publication of Washington Permanente Medical Group

STARTING A TRADITION: Dr. Tolani Mwatha is the first-ever recipient of the Women in Medicine Christine Himes Fordyce award

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CEO letter

KPWA is the future of Kaiser Permanente When KFHP&H CEO Greg Adams sat across from me at our September 23 Annual Meeting and said, “you (KPWA) are the future of the company,” I felt immense gratitude and pride that the hard work and commitment of every individual across our region had delivered that kind of recognition. Now, we must turn his faith in us into action.

Greg is justified to believe in KP Washington and WPMG. We have led our state during the pandemic and, with our digital innovations and solutions, are paving the way for the rest of KP nationally. Our model of integrated, evidencebased, patient-centered medicine continues to be the answer to health, healthcare, equity, and wellness in this country.

Our commitment to caring

Each one of you has done the hard work to make our progress possible. It’s the people of WPMG who are the foundation and the future of this community of practice. Your commitment to caring shines through in the way you answer your calling to medicine.

I look at Dr. Susanna Block, with her work on behalf of refugee populations, Dr. Colin Fields in his support of HIV/AIDS care and gender health, and the many clinicians showing up every day to deliver for their patients and their peers. I see the dozens of media stories featuring or authored by our WPMG clinicians this year on topics from COVID to Black maternal health, and I see their commitment to caring.

That commitment goes back nearly 75 years when a group of “radicals” founded Group Health Cooperative as a way to change the world with physician-led medicine. Around the same time, Kaiser Permanente began a revolution by providing prepaid, integrated health care to shipyard and foundry workers

We must now own the future of medicine

Together, we have accomplished much of what we set out to do when I first spoke to you as your president in September 2019 and we have work still to do. We must continue our progress and deliver on our vision to be the best place in Washington to give and receive care. We must evolve into One KP, with the support of Greg and the larger organization. We must nurture our trust in one another: there is no one more qualified to care for your patients than your own WPMG colleagues.

For 75 years, we have been leaders in medicine. Our competitors are just now beginning to replicate what makes us special. Let’s stick to our beliefs and values, bring trust, care, and confidence to our patients, and own the future of medicine.

All my best,

Paul Minardi, MD President and Chief Executive Officer

Table of contents

Permanente Impact Fall 2021 Letter from the CEO

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COVID-19 heroes

4

COVID-19 progress

6

Clinician voices

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Celebrating our people

14

Letter from the CFO

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Clinicians in the news

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EID progress

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Governance

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Events and activities

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On the cover Tolani Mwatha, MD, the recipient of the first-ever Women in Medicine Christine Himes Fordyce award, is a Family Medicine physician and clinic chief practicing in Smokey Point.

WPMG by the numbers Members served: 414,932 Total clinicians: 1,363 Telehealth visits (YTD Oct 2021): 893,971 (45% of total) *includes Care chat, e-visit, phone visit, staffed e-visit, video visit and virtual consult

Operating revenue (YTD Aug 2021): $338.7 million Operating expense (YTD Aug 2021): $335.2 million Operating income (YTD Aug 2021): $3.47 million *does not include investment income; based on interim MOU using 2020 terms

COVID-19

heroes

Physician Assistants for the win

Throughout WPMG, physician assistants are indispensable team members who help deliver In celebration of PA Week October 6-12, we’re recognizing a handful of physician assistants “Working at a vaccination clinic was a very positive, rewarding experience. I didn’t realize how much emotion was wrapped up in this vaccine. We had one patient who said this was her first vaccination – ever!”

– Crystal Kim, PA-C, Capitol Hill volunteer

“I recommend everyone sign up to experience this historic moment. The interactions you have will quickly remind you in these difficult times why you got into medicine to begin with.”

– Katina Galliano, PA-C, Northshore volunteer

“I see our vaccination efforts as an all-hands-on-deck mission; it’s vital to our patients and society. As a PA, I believe I have an added moral and ethical obligation to further the efforts, as well.”

– Jamey Sledge, PA-C, Riverfront volunteer

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COVID-19 heroes

When vaccinations for COVID-19 were first available, people from across the state eagerly flocked to clinics for their inoculations.

Over time, the average clinic patient has evolved. In the beginning, most were fiercely grateful and energized participants. Today, those delivering vaccines tend to see more hesitant folks who may be resentful of school and work requirements. We salute all those who have given, received, and supported COVID-19 vaccinations.

care in a variety of settings for all kinds of patients. s who went above and beyond by volunteering in COVID-19 vaccine clinics.

“Initially, I was hesitant to volunteer for a vaccine clinic. Looking back, I regret the delay. The clinics are, in part, what is helping me through these very taxing times. Although I came into medicine with an overwhelming desire to help people, I never imagined that I would have an opportunity to contribute to society in this way, or to the world for that matter.

I can only speak for myself, but I believe at our core all of us came into medicine to help others. These clinics offer that very opportunity on a scale that none of us could have thought possible. They allow us to get in touch with the very fabric of who we are as individuals as well as who we want to be as a group.

When I look back over my career, I will smile knowing that for this brief moment in time, I was a part of making our world a better place. It does not get better than that.”

– Lenny Smith, PA-C, Everett volunteer

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progress

COVID-19

WPMG volunteers give more than 10,000 COVID-19 clinic hours* Filled 2,181 shifts For a total of more than 10,905 hours At about 5 hours per shift

*These hours are estimates and do not include the many hours contributed by people across the organization who handled COVID-19 phone appointments, testing, and so much more.

Need your vaccination?

Due to the employer protocols, dedicated vaccination clinics are being re-established in all districts. For KPWA staff, there is a clinic at the Renton Admin Campus.

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COVID-19 by the numbers*

COVID-19 tests conducted: 283,534 COVID-19 patients treated: 21,293 COVID-19 vaccines injected: 421,651 *Data accurate as of October 8, 2021

COVID-19 progress

PPE, vaccinations are keeping us safe

By Barbara Detering, MD The best way to end the pandemic is by getting as many people as possible vaccinated. WPMG continues to do its part and make a meaningful impact on the communities we serve.

WPMG is a highly vaccinated medical group. An astounding 98% of WPMG clinicians and staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 with just 4 claiming medical exemptions and 18 with religious exemptions. This remarkable achievement demonstrates our commitment to caring, for the safety of our patients and each another.

Pfizer boosters are now available for recommended individuals who have completed their Pfizer series at least six months ago; WPMG clinicians and staff can get theirs at the Renton Admin Vaccination Clinic (Glacier Building) by appointment at mykp.org or by walk-in Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In January, we began a four-phase plan to vaccinate our patients and members with a target of 80% vaccinated. As of the beginning of October, 79% of KP Washington members 12 years or older are fully vaccinated. We are now focusing on additional doses for those who are immune compromised; Pfizer boosters for higher-risk individuals; and continued efforts to get the primary series to anyone still unvaccinated. The 5 to 11-year-old group should be eligible for vaccination in early November.

Stay vigilant with safety protocols Since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 68 cases of COVID-19 (as of early October) in the medical group (see chart). The vast majority of our infected clinicians contracted the virus outside of the workplace; while we cannot be 100% certain, our investigations have found no instances of definite patient-to-clinician transmission.

Our safety procedures and PPE use have helped to keep everyone safe and we continue to follow these strict guidelines, so please stay vigilant. We need each and every one of you if we hope to put the pandemic behind us.

Thank you to those who have spread the word amongst their families, friends, and patients about the benefits of being vaccinated, and for your agility and teamwork in taking care of our patients and each other.

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voices

Clinician

WPMG clinicians deliver words of caring and support to their patients every day.

The clinicians featured here are sharing words of solidarity and encouragement with you, their trusted colleagues.

Pictured: Scott Ekin, MD; Emergency Medicine, Tacoma Medical Center

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Clinician voices

Caring for our colleagues through it all In early September, Scott Ekin, MD, sent a heartfelt email to his team, acknowledging the stress and fatigue of being a clinician in 2021 and reminding his colleagues about the importance of self-care and available resources. With Dr. Ekin’s permission, we’re sharing an abbreviated version of his message with you as you continue facing the daily challenges of delivering healthcare and caring for yourselves. We are in this together.

Colleagues, There is no sugarcoating it. Work is hard right now. Really hard. And it’s taking a toll on all of us.

Patient volumes are up. Hospitals are full. Primary Care is overwhelmed. At the same time, holes in the nursing and tech schedules are making even normal operations challenging.

You, all of you, are part of a highly skilled and valuable provider team and are the single most important part of patient care. I’m concerned by how many I see limping right now.

We are in an unusually high stress/need environment. The fatigue and frustration you’re feeling is real. By the very nature of what we do, we are asked to pour ourselves out to help 15-20 new people every shift. When there are either too many complaints or, too many complaints that we can’t do anything about, we become depleted.

If it continues unabated, we eventually feel exhausted and empty.

After a taxing series of shifts, why don’t we have the energy or the will to engage in the things that are usually helpful or restorative? One theory to explain it is called ego depletion.

Basically, the idea is that we all have finite amount of “adulting” that we can do in a day. When the “have to’s” overwhelm the “want to’s”, we shut down, become less capable of making decisions, and less able to exert selfcontrol.

We all need to find a strategy of self-care that refills our cup on a regular basis. Without it we will become empty, cynical, mean, and uncaring.

The WPMG Well-Being Program offers free and confidential support to all providers that is not charted in EPIC. Our colleagues Kristin Slotemaker and Tom Linde offer appointments in the evenings and on weekends as needed and can authorize care with therapists and psychiatrists outside of the KP system.

Our external, contracted ComPsych Employee Assistance Program also provides free and confidential services: 1-833-306-0104, guidanceresources.com, or App: GuidanceNow, Web ID: WPMG. Another resource is the national Physician Support Line staffed by volunteer psychologists and psychiatrists.

If you are concerned about a colleague, reach out to Tom Linde or me for assistance or check out PF-VitalSigns-Conversation-Toolkit.pdf (physiciansfoundation.org) for suggestions about how to have a meaningful conversation with a colleague who is struggling.

Work is hard. You are important. Please be careful out there.

Scott Ekin, MD FAAEM, Director of Quality and Safety for Emergency Services, and Physician Representative for Clinical Value Improvement

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Will the pandemic make us ‘antifragile’?

By Raj Sundar, MD COVID-19 doesn’t evoke the same fear in me it once did: fear that thrived on the unknown and the uncertain; fear that manifested in me reading pre-print articles on COVID-19 on Twitter at 2 a.m.; and fear that transformed itself into unfocused anxiety as the weeks went on and deaths went up.

Now, it makes me impatient, restless, and often just weary. “Let’s get this over with and return to ‘normal’ primary care.” It is a feeling one can only experience from a place of privilege in a pandemic—protected by a well-oiled institution with command centers, drive-through testing, and PPE protocols. An institution that kept its promise of no layoffs and offered work-from-home accommodations to every corner of every one of its sprawling campuses. An institution that allowed me to experience joy and gratitude as my wife and I brought new life into this world.

With well-stocked PPE, screening criteria for face-to-face visits, and expansion of virtual care, my only task was to keep up with continually changing protocols and policies as new evidence and new information became apparent. I was protected.

I continued to show up at work to face the ceaseless demands of evolving procedures and workflows as the pandemic demanded more out of all of us. If I paused to take it in, I knew I could trust the expertise and knowledge within KPWA to guide me to do the right work and meet our core values of excellence and compassion. I am grateful for that. I’m thankful to be part of KPWA. Now, however, I must call out where our system could’ve and should’ve been better: when our virtual care strategy left limited-English-proficient patients behind, when our strategy to address the digital divide was not explicit, and when our strategy for COVID-19 vaccination needed to highlight the community. Our system doesn’t always meet our vision of equity as it’s designed, but we do the work because we believe it can meet that goal. I speak up because I deeply believe in our model and its promise to be an answer to American healthcare.

Author Nassim Nicholas Taleb writes about antifragility—a word to describe a concept that’s beyond resiliency. Resiliency often means coping with shocks to stay the same, but antifragility means we get better. I hope that this work we are undertaking to survive during a pandemic will make us antifragile and help us thrive in a post-pandemic world. I hope that I can be part of the change to make it happen.

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Clinician voices

RAJ SUNDAR, MD

Family Medicine, Burien Medical Center 11

Clinician voices

MIKE KEEP, MD

Family Medicine, Olympia Medical Center 12 | Permanente Impact Fall 2021

Team solidarity and commitment to care in West Olympia

By Mike Keep, MD I joined WPMG in February 2019 and was delighted to make the transition to the West Olympia Clinic when it opened December that year.

Preparing for the clinic opening brought together the entire clinical team, lab, pharmacy, radiology, management, and PAR staff in a weeklong team building exercise that generated pride and purpose. Upon opening, former West Olympia patients – and others from nearby counties – were happy to have a more convenient KP location.

Patients appreciate the ease of navigating our smaller clinic with onsite pharmacy, x-ray, and lab services. We all have line-of-sight to our patient rooms and team members, which markedly improves efficiency. The adjacent space to our radial clinic (a little like NASA’s mission control!), is an enclave for our virtual work. The beauty of the space design is how easily we can interact with each other for professional advice and conversation, which helps maintain a high degree of collegiality and support—an advantage for our wellness.

We can easily spot check on what must be completed that day and effortlessly divide the workload for anyone away.

Just two months after the grand opening, the grand closing came as COVID landed on our shores. The clinic was equipped for a virtual world that we didn’t know we’d need so urgently. It was comforting knowing the space was ready for the task.

Unfortunately, in our short tenure, our team has experienced too many tragedies through illness and deaths of loved ones, coupled with staffing shortages and departing original members of our team, but together, we meet these challenges. On the upside, we’ve also experienced a baby boom in our small clinic—soon welcoming the 5th baby to our team—something to celebrate in these challenging times.

As we navigate the changing world that is the American medical system, the West Olympia’s solidarity and commitment to patient care are proving resilient and adaptable to the changes we continually face.

I am happy to be onboard.

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Celebrating our

people

Passing the torch, and keeping it lit Tolani Mwatha, MD, a WPMG family physician since 2005 and current clinic chief is the first ever recipient of the Women in Medicine Christine Himes Fordyce award. The honor recognizes a WPMG clinician who advances women in healthcare, serves as a mentor, leads in diversity, equity, and inclusion and work-life integration efforts, and improves the educational and professional environment for sustaining women colleagues.

Dr. Mwatha embodies Dr. Fordyce’s legacy, mentoring early career clinicians and advocating for and advancing women in leadership. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership in building an entire clinic team at Smokey Point clinic, creating a culture of collaboration and success, and mentoring 3 PA-C’s on her team, two of whom are women. Her leaders see an emerged leader who displays great vision and integrity. Her peers call her a deep thinker who is both curious and courageous.

She has faced bias related both to gender and skin color but has met the challenges with dignity and grace. In her role as a physician, she is acutely aware of the need for more women of color in medicine. “As a clinician of color and an immigrant, I bring a unique life story, experiences, and insight to the care I provide. I have had patients cry as I step into a room to see them, so relieved to finally see a provider who looks like them and understands them,” she says. In her work to embody our value of equity into how we provide care, Dr. Mwatha worked on integrating an equity lens into all quality improvement processes.

In Dr. Mwatha’s acceptance speech, she reflected on the impact that women have had on her own life. She notes “My great, great grandmother was born a slave and likely about 6 years old when emancipation occurred. She was part of the great migration to the North and paved the way for subsequent generations of women in my family. My grandmother graduated from Hunter College in the 1930s and my mother became one of the first women in Kenya to be awarded a PhD. I understand deeply that their courage, discipline, integrity, and grace are the legacy that I have inherited. I am here today because I stand on the shoulders of the exceptional women who came before me.”

About the Award

WPMG is honored to count Dr. Mwatha as a leading member of our community of practice as we continue to learn from her and grow with her into a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse future.

14 | Permanente Impact Fall 2021

Learn more about Christine Himes Fordyce, the woman for whom this honor is named, by watching a short introductory video from Mary Wierusz, MD.

Celebrating our people

Celebrating WPMG’s midwives In many ways, midwives epitomize the patient-centered philosophy of Permanente Medicine. They partner with their patients through times of joy and despair, providing the medical guidance that supports each individual’s values, beliefs, and choices. In honor of National Midwifery Week October 4 – 10, we share the insights of three WPMG midwives.

Pew Bounvilay, CNM, Staff Midwife, Bellevue “I’m grateful every day for the honor of taking care of patients, advocating for informed choice, shared decision making, and the right to selfdetermination. One of the most cherished aspects of my midwifery practice is the connection and relationship-building between patients, our team, and me.

I value the partnership with patients, listen to their stories, and support them wherever they are in their health journey. I feel proud that our approach and philosophy are associated with lower interventions, cost-effectiveness, and promoting empowerment and respect for the autonomy of patients.”

Simon Ellis, CNM, ARNP, Staff Midwife, Capitol Hill “I am transgender/non-binary, and my path to career rebirth as a midwife ran parallel to the beginning of my gender affirmation journey – neither of those paths have been straightforward or easy at all, but they have both been worth it.

When the diversity of our profession matches the diversity of the patients we serve, we will be able to do our best work, save more lives, and get more families off to a healthy, joyful, and confident start.”

Christine Topinka, CNM, ARNP, Service Line Chief, Midwifery, Capitol Hill “Midwifery has always been patient-centered and values patient autonomy and collaborative practice. I think this is pivotal in preventative care. It’s not about telling someone what to do, but listening to what they think is essential, understanding their values—then having a comprehensive knowledge of the system they need to navigate. I like to think of myself as a guide who is familiar with the terrain and here to help others find their best way.”

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Collaboration and education in Spokane An interview with William Sayres, MD Our medical group has a proud history of teaching the next generations of clinicians with a sense of pride, duty, and collegiality, within our system and facilities, in our highly renowned residency programs, and at medical schools and partner hospitals.

Dr. Bill Sayres, Family Medicine, dedicated his time, expertise, and passion to build the University of Washington’s Medical School in Spokane. Soon, he’ll step away from his assistant dean position after growing the school into the success it is today.

Tell us about Spokane’s University of Washington School of Medicine In 2013, three other Spokane physicians (including colleague Cicely White, MD) and I started a pilot program for the UW. It was a unique small group approach, and the four of us taught the entire second year of medical school without a single lecture. The pilot proved successful and formed the framework for our current program. I was asked to serve as assistant dean when we became “official” in 2015, and I’ve served alongside a wonderful team of faculty and administrators ever since.

Can you describe those early years?

We opened our doors in 2015 to 40 students. Because we were new, the student body was skeptical. We were somewhat hand-to-mouth and scrappy as we quickly worked to build the program into something new and different. The next year we had 60 students and that’s where we sit today: two classes of 60 students (first and second years).

“One of the most important concepts in medicine is teamwork.”

What philosophy do you seek to entrust to newer clinicians?

One of the most important concepts in medicine is teamwork. Traditional medical schools taught young physicians they’re at the top of the pyramid—they’re the decision-makers. That’s one way we’re changing medical education, emphasizing the team perspective. This is a big leap, especially for my generation of doctors who were trained to be the boss. Younger generations of students embrace collaboration.

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Celebrating our people

What do you think attracts students to UW Spokane?

I’m proud that Spokane now has the highest student satisfaction of any of UW’s six campuses, and we see more UW medical students seek spots in Spokane than are available.

I’ll credit the teamwork and the support we give the students.

It’s also an attractive community. Spokane is less expensive and, in many ways, an “easier” lifestyle, so we see a lot of students come here with their families because it offers a highly livable option. Many bike or walk to school. Many then stay after graduation for clinical rotations. It’s great for our medical community.

Do you have plans to continue teaching?

Absolutely! This December I’ll step down as assistant dean and instead teach classes— which are fun and interesting. I’ll maintain my clinical role at Kaiser Permanente.

Anything more to add?

Yes. Nothing we accomplished in Spokane was done by me alone. We have a superb and dedicated team focused on the students, building a learning community around them. It’s a labor of love.

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Letter from the CFO

As an owner, how will you make WPMG better?

After gathering for the WPMG Annual Meeting, I’m reflecting on what makes our medical group special. The first thing I think of is collaborative, expert colleagues. This is probably high on your lists, too. Strong relationships with caring, talented people definitely make work satisfying, but I think WPMG’s uniqueness goes even deeper.

There aren’t many places in medicine where you can be a patient, a practitioner, and an owner. I think this creates a deeper level of personal investment in our group. I’ve seen this phenomenon play out in my work with the Colorado and Southern California Permanente medical groups, too. There are very few places where you can experience exactly what your patients experience and lend your voice to keep making it better.

Because of our size and agility in Washington, each of us can get a broad view of how things work and use our influence to make programs more successful. As an owner, you can become familiar with quality, finances, technology, and operations. There are dozens of committees, workgroups, and initiatives that are great learning grounds. Over a career here, you’ll have many opportunities to either dip a toe in these waters or dive in headfirst.

If you want to expand or try a different kind of practice, WPMG can create flexibility in how your career moves. Recent physician-led expansions include service areas like palliative medicine, ALS clinics, and brachytherapy. Our clinicians and staff have deepened equity and inclusion work, aligning with the unmet care needs in our patient populations. Advancements like CareChat, teledermatology, and all our virtual capabilities create choices for shaping our practices.

Raise your hand often, and you can move your career in new directions.

Options to contribute and lead are abundant: there are roles of all sizes in population health, medical education, governance, quality, patient experience, clinical guideline development, wellness, care innovation, medical team management, and so much more. We have career experiences that just aren’t available in a standard practice, and at least one third of our group has stepped into leadership.

How will you leverage your ownership to expand your horizon and that of our larger organization? Kaiser Permanente puts a mini world at our feet.

Think about how you can enrich your work life and be a part of the change we need.

Study our business as an owner and be Permanente Proud!

With admiration,

Cindi Johnson CFO, VP of Strategy, interim COO

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news

Clinicians in the

WPMG’s clinicians work every day to provide useful, often life-saving, information to patients. Som MD, frequently share their insights through media appearances or publications while others like Lis contributions to medicine. Other WPMG clinicians help inform the public about many issues relate breakthrough infections, Angie Sparks, MD, on vaccines, and Mabel Bongmba, MD, on the psychol

We invite you to see what your peers have been saying in the news and share in celebrating those

Colin Fields, MD, Chief of HIV and PREP Program speaks with Q13Fox in Seattle about the forty years since the virus first surfaced. LINK

Patricia Egwuatu, MD, uses her expertise in family medicine to highlight racial disparities in Black maternal health for KOMO news. LINK

Peter Lightbody, MD, explores how COVID-19 is changing the practice of medicine in South Sound Business magazine. LINK

20 | Permanente Impact Fall 2021

James Gre about healt skipped du KXLY-TV in

Jessie Fud pandemic i and how to to improve Seattle Tim

Mabel Bon back to nor Reporter. L

me, like Peter Barkett, MD, Susanna Block, MD, Jeff Markin, sa Jackson, MD, and Eric Chen, MD, are celebrated for their ed to the COVID-19 pandemic including Paul Thottingal, MD, on logical implications of the pandemic.

e who have earned public recognition for their service.

eene, MD, shares concerns th screening delayed or ue to COVID-19 pandemic on n Spokane. LINK

Read all about it

For a comprehensive list of recent WPMG clinicians in the news, check out this link.

dge, MD, explains how the interrupted workout routines o find pandemic-era exercise e mood and fitness in the mes. LINK

ngmba, MD, addresses “getting rmal” anxiety in the Auburn LINK

Top Docs

More than 35 WPMG physicians were recognized

by Seattle Met magazine and Seattle magazine as “top docs”. See which of your colleagues are included by clicking here.

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Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity at W

where we’re

By Kristin Conn, MD, Sr. Associate Medical Director, Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

When the call for social justice came to our doorstep last summer, equity, diversity, and inclusion work on many levels was already underway. HEAT (Health Equity Action Team), an opt-in health and community equity group, was launched in 2011, my role as medical director for EID was established in 2017, and we added ‘equity’ to our corporate values in 2018.

After listening to and learning from you throughout the summer of 2020, WPMG’s board of directors declared an even greater commitment and developed our anti-racism strategic plan. Over the last year, WPMG has: • Deepened our understanding of what an equitable organization looks and feels like for staff, clinicians, and patients • Continued to identify what’s missing and what needs to change, • Expanded activities and worked to ensure there are throughlines for this work—aligning our systems, departments, and individuals, • We analyzed data and, in the process, learned more about where we can [or need to] improve as an organization • Welcomed more patient and community voices to support our transformation.

We still have a long way to go and we’re learning from those outside of our organization as well. One source of deep learning comes in the recent findings and recommendations of the Seattle Children’s Hospital investigation into systemic racism.

We’ve reviewed that report and considered how we can best utilize the information to support our organization’s ongoing anti-racist journey. We’ve identified eight key objectives: • Make and Sustain an Unequivocal Commitment to Anti-Racism and EID • Lead the Institution with Purpose and Decisive Action • Hire to Increase and Sustain Diversity • Choose to Build and Sustain a Culture of Inclusion in the Workplace • Choose to Include All Patients on the EDI Journey • Listen to the Workforce, Patients, and Families • Communicate Transparently • Lead the Way 22 | Permanente Impact Fall 2021

WPMG

EID Progress

e headed These objectives align with the work already underway. In addition to our Anti-Racism Strategy, we’ve created the Equity Governance Collaborative, a new BOD committee which serves as a resource to support the successful implementation and review of the antiracism strategic plan; developed and implemented a a new recruiting strategy to create a more diverse workforce, established a new Speak Up form to report experiences that work against our culture of inclusion, and developed the KP Equitable Care Toolkit.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll share more details on our efforts in The Pulse. In the meantime, we invite you to join us in this anti-racist work. Aligning our own behavior and mindsets is integral to changing systems, practices, and policies within our institution—and anywhere. When we don’t see ourselves as active participants within institutional systems, whether our workplace, our social circles, or in our collective identity as a country, we can inadvertently cause harm.

Last year, Professor Kendi suggested we get curious rather than defensive when others — including our patients — consider us to be racist. Instead, let’s ask how we can better understand another’s experience, contribute to their betterment, and ultimately, improve our own experience and that of those we care about.

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WPMG Board Equity Governance Collaborative

We are thrilled to introduce you to the four newly selected at-larg provides the support, accountability and ingenuity needed to mak hearty “thank you!” goes out to the many who applied for these p as a group to further this critical work. We also particularly thank equitable selection process.

Sincerely, Sarah Philp, MD, On behalf of the WPMG Equity Governance Colla

Chase Anderson, CPC “It’s exciting to work for an organization that both cares about advancing equity in healthcare and is in a position to change how people experience healthcare in real, meaningful ways. The collaborative is unique in that it will bring in people not affiliated with WPMG to serve as committee members, each with an equal voice as any other (WPMG-affiliated) committee member, which is a first for WPMG’s governance committees. This is a really good chance to receive fresh perspective, and to understand how we can continue providing the best care in more equitable systems.”

Ling Lee, MD “Healthcare equity is an area that I am extremely passionate about.

I will most certainly do all I can towards this goal.

As a person of color and an immigrant, I often have a different perspective as well.

I believe I can contribute to this endeavor by giving appropriate advice and recommendations. There is still so much misunderstanding and bias about equity in healthcare in KPWA.”

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Governance

e welcomes new members

ge members of our WPMG Board Equity Governance Collaborative. This committee ke progress on our WPMG Governance Anti-racism commitments. Additionally, a positions. It is truly inspiring to see the high level of interest and energy we possess Jane Dulski, Dr. Mabel Bongmba, and Dr. Deb Gore for their great work leading an

aborative

Sheree Sharpe, MD “I am passionate about the advancement of equity and inclusion for all, especially minority groups, as I have experienced several disparities due to systemic and implicit bias, as well as being of Afro-Caribbean ethnicity. I have started this work by partnering with the Inspired Allied Mentor (IAM) group as well as being a pioneer participant of KPWA Racial Equity Training. As a team player, I am an advocate for inclusivity that aims to maximize the strengths and potential of my colleagues.”

Andrew Wei, MD “Racism is a public health crisis and I feel charged to work towards eliminating health disparities. The people and resources at WPMG and KPWA make us poised to be leaders in advancing anti-racist practices in healthcare and I see the committee as a key driver for accountability and organization in making that a reality.

In my current role, I am involved in the Residency Promoting Inclusion Diversity and Equity (RPrIDE) committee, lead our residency advocacy committee, participate in HEAT meetings, and I am a core member of Inspired Allied Mentors, which is training WPMG clinicians to mentor underrepresented students in health care fields.”

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Events and activities What’s your opinion?

Share your thoughts in the 2021 Engagement Survey through October 18, and the Mini-Z Burnout Survey through November 5. Check your email inbox for your surveys and email WPMG.EngagementSurvey@kp.org with any questions.

Get covered!

Start planning now for open enrollment. Update your coverage between October 25 and November 25.

Are you in compliance?

KP Learn has all your compliance training needs in one place. Make sure you’ve done your part by October 31.

Another round of shots!

Get your flu shot and submit your attestation on or before November 30.

Exciting conference registration now open Register now for the 44th National Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Conference, November 4-5.

26 | Permanente Impact Fall 2021

WPMG University

Register Now For 2022 Classes! WPMG University’s three pathways are: Clinician Pathway: WPMG’s Associate Program includes classes for new clinicians, communications courses for everyone, and more Leader Pathway: A mix of short virtual programs and longer immersive experiences for leaders Governance Pathway: Courses selected for board and committee members’ development needs WPMG University combines revitalized versions of PLD’s most popular courses with brand new classes tailored to your current needs. Join your colleagues for sessions like Coaching for Success or Leveraging Feedback for Success.

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A Publication of Washington Permanente Medical Group