April 25, 2006
Kaiser Permanente of Georgia to merge research program
ATLANTA (April 25, 2006) - Kaiser Permanente of Georgia today announced a merger of its research
program with The Center for Health Research of Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, a
non-profit institute headquartered in Portland, Oregon. With the merger, The
Center for Health Research (TCHR) is now comprised of three regional Kaiser
Permanente research centers in Oregon, Hawaii and Georgia.
"We lead a number of nationally recognized efforts in clinical research. This merger provides a
more cost-effective, integrated structure for managing an important body of
work," said Bruce Perry, MD, Kaiser Permanente's of Georgia's medical director.
"Working multi-regionally will strengthen our research capabilities and better
leverage our network of scientific collaborators."
"The work of the Center for Health Research fits well with our mission to improve the health of
the communities we serve," added Carolyn Kenny, president of Kaiser Permanente
of Georgia. "The merger solidifies our continued focus on research and provides
greater opportunities to participate in important scientific research studies."
Kaiser Permanente of Georgia is currently involved in a number of nationally recognized efforts in
clinical research, including collaborations with the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, State of Georgia Public Health Division, the School of
Medicine and the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University and the
University of Michigan Center for Health Communications Research.
Under the new structure, Kaiser Permanente of Georgia's research team will be called the Center
for Health Research/Southeast. The KP of Georgia research team of 19, including
three research investigators, is currently working on 69 studies to find new
ways to treat, manage and prevent chronic conditions that affect Kaiser
Permanente members living with serious health conditions such as, diabetes,
heart disease, obesity, cancer and asthma.
About The Center for Health Research (TCHR)
The Center for Health Research has more than 46 years of experience in research with a focus on
epidemiology, clinical trials, disease prevention and health promotion. Notable
examples of current and recent research studies include a women's health
initiative (the largest study of women's health ever conducted), dietary
approaches to stop hypertension (which led to the DASH diet), a study of
tamoxifen and raloxifene for the prevention of breast cancer, and a study on
overweight and obesity control at worksites.
The Center for Health Research has a staff of 225, including 30 medical
doctors or PhD-level researchers, 11 affiliate investigators and nine clinical investigators
from other institutions, and is currently working on 402
studies.
For more infomation contact:
Terry Fitzpatrick, The Center for Health Research - 503-335-6602
or
Earnestine Perry, Kaiser Permanente of Georgia, 404-364-4754