| 
Back to Advocacy Page
OUTLINE OF TERMS
OF THE SETTLEMENT
1. Model Facilities. Two Kaiser
Permanente facilities, one in San Francisco and one in Riverside
will be designated “model facilities”. Access surveys,
removal of architectural barriers, and installation of accessible
medical equipment will begin immediately at these facilities.
The two sites will also serve as laboratories for the development
of effective policies to increase access and improve the delivery
of health services for people with disabilities throughout Kaiser
Permanente's health care system in California.
2. Appointment of Access Coordinator.
Kaiser Permanente will appoint an Access Coordinator with expertise
in ensuring health care access for people with disabilities.
The Access Coordinator will oversee implementation of Kaiser
Permanente's new disability access plan.
3. Accessible Medical Equipment.
Kaiser Permanente will hire a specialist in accessible medical
equipment or appoint a work group jointly selected by Kaiser
Permanente and Disability Rights Advocates, who will oversee
an evaluation of Kaiser Permanente facilities throughout California.
The consultant or work group will recommend installation of
adequate accessible medical equipment in each KP hospital and
medical office building. Based on the specialist's or work group's
recommendations, Kaiser Permanente will implement an action
plan to install accessible medical equipment throughout the
Kaiser Permanente network.
4. Removal of Architectural Barriers.
Kaiser Permanente will hire an architectural access specialist,
jointly selected by Kaiser Permanente and Disability Rights
Advocates, to oversee a system-wide evaluation of Kaiser Permanente
facilities. The specialist will begin with a comprehensive survey
of the two model facilities in San Francisco and Riverside,
and then will oversee a survey of the remainder of Kaiser Permanente's
facilities throughout California. Using the specialist's findings
and recommendations Kaiser Permanente will implement a barrier
removal action plan.
5. Review of Policies and Programs
to Ensure Accessibility. Kaiser Permanente will also
hire an access policy consultant or appoint a working group
to assess Kaiser Permanente's policies, procedures and programs
to improve access to quality health care for people with disabilities.
These policies and procedures include those that address the
communication needs of people with vision, speech, hearing and
cognitive disabilities.
6. Input of Disability Community.
Kaiser Permanente will develop a mechanism for responding to
ongoing input from Kaiser Permanente members with disabilities.
In addition, Kaiser Permanente will actively solicit input from
the disability community concerning the community's needs for
accessible medical equipment, as well as Kaiser Permanente's
programs that affect access.
7. Training Program for Health Care
Professionals. Kaiser Permanente also has agreed to develop
a training program to educate its health care professionals
about treating people with disabilities. The training will include
helping providers become more sensitive to the needs of people
with disabilities and informing providers about disability issues
that arise in delivering health services to this community.
8. Handbooks for Providers and Consumers.
KP will develop a handbook on the delivery of accessible health
services for people with disabilities that will be distributed
to all its health care providers. KP also has agreed to help
distribute a Disability Consumer Rights Guidebook that has been
developed by DRA.
9. Outreach to Members. KP
will conduct outreach to its patients with disabilities to inform
them of improved access features and programs and other information
that may help improve access to regular care.
10. Investigation of Possible Disability
Care Specialty. KP agreed to evaluate the possibility
of developing specialized clinical programs in disability care,
which will include consideration of the standards of care for
people with disabilities and how care can be better delivered
to achieve improved health for people with disabilities.
Back to Advocacy Page
 Go to TOP
|
