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Stories

Story

Addressing Social Needs to Improve Health at Kaiser Permanente—and Beyond

Social determinants of health contribute greatly to health disparities, and addressing these factors can often be just as important to overall health as meeting medical needs. 

Dec 13 2017

Story

Timely Publication on Opioid Dependency Makes a Splash on Twitter

As the opioid epidemic deepens, the public looks to researchers to help explain and confront the crisis.  

Dec 07 2017

Press Release

Expert in Adolescent Brain Development Delivers Annual Saward Lecture

Frances Jensen, MD, shared the latest research on the teenage brain.

Dec 07 2017

Stories

Remembering Andrew Glass, MD

Pediatrician, oncologist, and scientist, Dr. Glass founded the Kaiser Permanente Northwest Oncology department and helped make the region’s tumor registry a key asset for research.

Dec 07, 2017

Story

Landmark Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Draws to a Close After 31 Years

Our longest-running CHR study has produced dramatic discoveries, hundreds of scientific papers, and memorable relationships between researchers and participants.

Sep 20, 2017

Press Release

Medicare Invests in Diabetes Prevention, and Health Researchers Seize the Moment

A new four-year study will evaluate diabetes prevention programs at Kaiser Permanente Northwest.

Sep 20 2017

Story

Donating DNA to Change the Future of Health Care

Launched in 2016, the KP Research Bank is positioned to become one of the world’s most important resources for genetic research.

Sep 20, 2017

Story

Researchers and Pharmacists Team Up to Combat Opioid Overuse

Scientists at the Center for Health Research recently partnered with KP pharmacists to test a program to curb prolonged opioid use, as part of an FDA-funded clinical trial.

May 04 2017

Story

Reducing Unnecessary Screening for Vitamin D Deficiency

By making minor changes to their procedures for ordering tests, health care systems can help patients get the right screenings at the right time.

May 02, 2017

Story

Preventing a Rare But Tragic Outcome: Post-Tonsillectomy Death in Children

CHR researchers collaborated with Northwest Permanente physicians to reduce opioid prescriptions for children having tonsillectomies.

Dec 13 2016

Story

 

As Autism Costs Rise, CHR Calculates Costs to Families

 

A four-year study funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health will assess the economic impact of autism spectrum disorder on families.

Dec 13, 2016

Stories

Sonia Shah Contemplates the Future of Pandemics at the 2016 Saward Lecture

Caption: CHR Director Mary Durham welcomes Sonia Shah to Portland for the 2016 Saward Lecture.

The acclaimed science journalist explains the mechanisms of disease outbreaks.

Dec 13, 2016

Stories

After More Than Two Decades, Mary Durham Bids Farewell to the Center for Health Research

Caption: Mary Durham is wrapping up 21 years as director of the Center for Health Research

Retiring director plans to run more marathons, play the piano, and become fluent in Italian.

Dec 13 2016

Stories

Lifestyle Intervention Helps People Taking Antipsychotic Medications Lose Weight and Reduce Diabetes Risk

By Lisa Waiwaiole, Project Director

The Dental Care Program at Kaiser Permanente Northwest proves to be a great laboratory for immunization research.

Dec 13 2016

Press Release

National Diabetes Trial Gets Big Boost from KP Center for Health Research

Photo: A GRADE participant chats with Bryan Kauffman, RN, Clinical Research Specialist.

On the NIDDK’s Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes study, CHR shines as a top-performing recruitment site 

While the last few years have seen a promising decline in the number of newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) cases in the United States, the disease remains one of our most widespread public health problems, afflicting about 22 million people. People with T2DM face a host of challenges, including higher risk of long-term complications such as retinopathy, renal failure, cardiovascular disease, and amputation.

Aug 28, 2014

Story

Living with Colorectal Cancer—for One Day

By Ginger Hanson, PhD

As part of the #ColorectalCancer1Day project, I spent a day in close contact with a cancer patient—learning from her, sharing stories, and reflecting on my own experience as a cancer survivor.

Monday started out like any other work day, but as I sat down and fired up my computer I heard the familiar “ding, ding” of my smartphone alerting me that I had a text. A small flurry of text notifications followed. I picked up my phone to see what the commotion was about—and then remembered that this was my day to be a “learner” in #ColorectalCancer1Day, a patient empathy experience conducted by an online community called Smart Patients.

Jul 13 2016

Press Release

Dual Efforts to Reduce Disparities in Breast Cancer Screening

CHR and KP Community Benefit work toward greater health equity for the Latino community

Maria Lopez Cruz found a lump in her breast, but waited five months before seeing a doctor. When she finally got in for a mammogram, she was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer, which means the cancer had already spread beyond her breast into her lymph nodes.

Jul 13, 2016

Stories

Improving Care in the Intensive Care Unit

New Tool Gives Hospitals an Objective Way to Measure Quality

Millions of patients spend time in the hospital ICU each year being treated for pain, discomfort and shortness of breath. These patients also receive psychosocial and spiritual support, assistance with discussions involving family members and friends, and help with advance directives and end-of-life decisions. This treatment is often referred to as palliative care.

May 17, 2016

Story

Why Pregnant Women Don't Need to Eat for Two

More than half of pregnant women in the United States gain more than the recommended amount of weight, and that extra weight can lead to large babies, difficult deliveries, birthing injuries, weight retention after pregnancy, and a higher risk of obesity for those babies later in life, according to recent research.

Feb 19, 2015

Story

Service Dogs Help Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

She had only 20 minutes to testify, but it was plenty of time for Dr. Carla Green, a researcher with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, to deliver a powerful message to an Oregon legislative subcommittee: Veterans with specially trained service dogs have fewer symptoms of Post-traumatic stress disorder, less depression, better interpersonal relationships and lower levels of substance abuse.

Jan 14, 2015

Story

Not Enough Evidence to Recommend Routine Screening for Vitamin D Deficiency

Read the recommendation and evidence review published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Dec 23, 2014

Story

Sharing our Science in Novel Ways

It’s not every day that you hear two kids discussing how to prevent colon cancer, but that’s just what they’re doing in a funny 90-second video we produced for the National Institutes of Health Common Fund video competition.In a second CHR video, a study participant with chronic pain tells her compelling story.

Apr 30 2014