About Our Program

As a research center embedded within Kaiser Permanente’s large and dynamic health care system, our investigators have a unique opportunity to apply scientific expertise to real-world clinical problems, translate findings into practice, and share what we learn with the broader community.

Featured Scientist

Adovich Rivera, MD, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Division of Epidemiologic Research
626-564-3106
adovichrivera2021@u.northwestern.edu

Dr. Rivera is a health services researcher and a postdoctoral research fellow in HIV epidemiology in the Department of Research & Evaluation. His research interests include studying disparities in chronic health disease outcomes, especially for people with HIV and sexual and gender minority populations.

Before joining Kaiser Permanente in 2022, Dr. Rivera worked on a broad range of health research projects. In the Philippines, he worked as a researcher for the Institute of Health Policy ...

Featured Video

Research showing value of exercise before COVID-19 diagnosis earns special recognition

Being active can lower your risk of getting seriously ill with COVID, regardless of your race or the chronic conditions you may have, according to research published last year in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The Kaiser Permanente Southern California findings were important, impactful, and influential. As a result, the journal editors chose the research article, “Associations of Physical Inactivity and COVID-19 Outcomes Among Subgroups,” as the American Journal of Preventive Medicine 2023 Article of the Year.

News

Featured Image of News Story Titled: Soda tax may impact children’s weight

Soda tax may impact children’s weight

After 4 California cities began taxing sugar-sweetened beverages, young people in those cities had lower body mass index (BMI) compared to young people living in cities without the tax, a new study shows. “The findings of our study demonstrate that SSB (sugar-sweetened beverage) excise taxes may be associated with lower BMI percentile among youth,” said ...

Reduced death rates from colorectal cancer with FIT screening

An analysis of Kaiser Permanente patients in California found a 33% reduced risk of dying from colorectal cancer among those completing at least one at-home fecal immunochemical test (FIT) screening. The study was published in JAMA Network Open. In 2007, Kaiser Permanente Southern California began an organized colorectal cancer screening program that includes automated outreach ...

Program helping patients lower cholesterol nets international award

A 2019 Kaiser Permanente program has helped patients with high levels of “bad cholesterol” start taking medications to lower their cholesterol and decrease their risk of stroke and heart attacks. This month, this SureNet Statin Start program was recognized with a prestigious UNIVANTS of Healthcare Excellence Award, and even more importantly, has significantly improved the ...

Five questions for … Dr. Michael Kanter

Dr. Michael Kanter is an associate investigator with the Department of Research & Evaluation and the chair of Clinical Science and a professor for the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. He has been a quality care leader for Kaiser Permanente at both the regional and national levels for many years and was responsible for ...

Eating raw vegetables may improve bladder cancer outcomes

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients whose treatment included the immunotherapy Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) after surgery were less likely to have their cancer recur if their diet included raw cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, a new Kaiser Permanente study found. The research, published in the Journal of Urology, analyzed data from patients enrolled in the Bladder Cancer ...

Events

Featured Division

Health Services Research & Implementation Science

Our health services researchers bring together scientific and clinical expertise to find better ways to improve care.

Investigators with the Division of Health Services Research & Implementation Science study how care is delivered, identify opportunities for care improvement, and implement new approaches for organizing and delivering health services. The division brings together scientists with diverse expertise and training, including emergency medicine, epidemiology, health services research, implementation science, internal medicine, nursing, pharmaceutical economics, and pulmonology.

The division co-leads the Care Improvement Research Team, a research team embedded within Kaiser Permanente Southern California’s quality improvement ecosystem. The team works closely with clinical and operational partners at Kaiser Permanente Southern California to identify, prioritize, and solve problems related to quality and affordability. Its goal is to reduce unnecessary practice variation, improve affordability, and transform care.