Kaiser Permanente recognizes many of the people of KP are facing significant, unprecedented challenges at work while managing sudden and traumatic changes in daily and family lives. Therefore, we are implementing temporary benefits and pay programs to assist them in caring for themselves and their families.
These temporary COVID-19-related benefits were developed in consultation with labor leaders and will be available to physicians and employees actively working in patient care environments. Part-time employees and per diem employees who work at least 20 hours per week are also eligible. Benefits include:

• Additional paid time off if you need to be away from work because you have tested positive for COVID-19
• Childcare grants for your school-age children or dependent disabled adult children while you are at work.
• Short-term housing near our medical centers and specialty hubs for certain situations.

For details, eligibility, and other information visit My HR ^[1] or Here4You. Physicians will access these benefits through Permanente Human Resources Shared Services.

Since the start of our planning to respond to the coronavirus outbreak our Buy-to-Pay team has undertaken a gigantic task of sourcing very scare materials to meet the demands of a totally unheard-of disease that we have no immunity against. In addition to our normal supply chain sources, they have undertaken steps to find and establish new relationships with clinically-approved new sources of supplies; and chartered aircraft to go to Europe and Asia to restock our materials. We also have engaged in some ingenious tactics to PPE supplies from unconventional sources. This includes donations from various private sources, and even P-card shopping at hardware stores to find goggles and face masks. We were very pleased to learn that Southern California Region will receive 770 new ventilators within the next few weeks as part of a massive enterprise-wide purchase of this equipment.

Recently, UHW donated 700 masks to KP and we know our SEIU UHW partner is actively working with other businesses they are part of to encourage and help them immediately switch from whatever they normally manufacture to producing the critical PPE we all need. We applaud and are so grateful for what this means for our nation and health care teams on the frontlines here at KP and across the nation.

Just like for any highly infectious exposure that occurs in the workplace, any and all individuals on the care team that might have been exposed will be notified. Depending on the level of exposure – the appropriate actions will be taken – which could range from self-monitoring for symptoms to being sent home for a period of time and put on paid administrative.

We are taking precautions to protect our people and patients. For example, we’ve implemented a Secured Entry/Greeter programs which limits access to our medical facilities and direct people who may have COVID-19 symptoms to an isolated area for follow-up. Temperature taking of visitors, staff, and physicians entering our facilities helps to identify those with coronavirus symptoms.

COVID-19 testing is only available by a doctor’s order. If a health care worker or first responder is showing COVID-19 symptoms, they will be tested following consultation and approval by their physician.

If you are concerned that you or a family member are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, please call the appointment and advice line for further instructions before coming in, as you need an appointment to get tested. Members who have flu-like symptoms and are 18 or older can also complete an e-visit to get online care, advice, coronavirus screening, and treatment for symptoms if necessary.

Employees who experience symptoms at home should first call the advice number on the back of their Kaiser Permanente membership card for instructions, and then notify their manager in accordance with existing sick policies and procedures. If an employee becomes ill with these symptoms while at work, the employee should separate themselves from other coworkers or patients, and report it to their manager immediately.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus that can spread between people in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet). It is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. Coronavirus may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.

^[2]
This week, Kaiser Permanente began transferring non-COVID-19 patients to the USNS Mercy, the fully staffed and equipped hospital ship now docked in the Port of Los Angeles. Patients are being relocated to the Mercy only in if they voluntarily agree to do so and meet the hospital ship’s clinical criteria, and only after consultation with their physician.
As the number of COVID-19-positive patients grows, this collaboration allows us to use our intensive care units and ventilators for those patients, while ensuring all other non-COVID patients continue to receive high-quality, compassionate care. This is just one of many options we are implementing to prepare for the expected surge of COVID-19 patients, and to further strengthen our ability to deliver outstanding medical care. For details, check your Kaiser Permanente email inbox for the 4/5/20 message and video from Ed Ellison, MD and Julie Miller-Phipps.

All Kaiser Permanente Southern California physicians and employees who work in areas where patient care is provided are being supplied with the appropriate PPE. Inventory will be available soon to provide Level 1 “Cover Your Cough” masks to employees who work in an administrative area or regional operations locations where no patient care is provided. Until then, they should follow the CDC’s recommendations and wear a cloth face covering or non-KP issued mask. Get info about making fabric coverings using t-shirts, bandanas, and other materials here ^[3], or watch this video ^[4].

Kaiser Permanente has partnered with CommonSpirit Health (formerly Dignity Health), the State of California and the County of Los Angeles to open the Los Angeles Surge Hospital. The facility is located on the campus of the former St. Vincent Medical Center in central Los Angeles. Kaiser Permanente provided marketing and operational expertise which enabled this facility to be repurposed in a remarkable two weeks time. While Kaiser Permanente Southern California will not provide physicians, staff, or equipment to the new facility, the Los Angeles Surge Hospital will expand access to additional beds and ICU capacity for patients who contract COVID-19. Get more details here ^[5].

All Kaiser Permanente members including employees and physicians, now have anytime, anywhere access to the digital mental health app myStrength. According to Don Mordecai, MD, psychiatrist and national leader for mental health and wellness at Kaiser Permanente, “Everyone can benefit from caring for their emotional well-being, particularly in times of increased stress and anxiety.” After downloading myStrength and using their kp.org sign-in, users can focus on sleep, mood, mindfulness, resilience, or learn skills to improve emotional health – among many other uses. myStrength is just the newest of many innovative, free self-care tips and tools available in kp.org/wellnessresources ^[6].

An email from Dick Daniels, executive vice president and chief information officer, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, notified employees that cybercriminals have dramatically increased their phishing attempts. These are emails that try to solicit sensitive information through malicious links and attachments. Messages may appear to be handing out federal stimulus payments or tracking COVID-19 cases. They may look like they are coming from official organizations like the IRS, or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Do not click on links or attachments that ask for personal or financial information. Do not complete forms to qualify for payments – eligible people will receive checks or deposits directly from the Internal Revenue Service. As always, never give personal, patient, or sensitive Kaiser Permanente information to someone unless you are sure of his or her identity, and certain that they are authorized to obtain that information. To learn more about detecting and reporting phishing, visit kp.org/phishing ^[7]

Reaching an Agreement

We’ve negotiated with NUHW for more than a year and at our Thursday, September 5 bargaining session, we reiterated our excellent offer to the NUHW bargaining team as our “last, best, and final” proposal — with a significant difference. We added an important element that we hope reflects our interest to move forward with you. If the proposal is accepted by September 25, 2019, Kaiser Permanente will make wage increases in our proposal retroactive to the pay period closest to September 30, 2018, the date of the last contract’s expiration. This means the 3% salary increase for the first year of the agreement will go into effect during the pay period closest to September 30, 2018. In each of years 2 and 3 you’ll receive an increase of 2% to the base and a 1.5% cash payment. If this offer is not accepted, the annual wage increases will become effective as of the first full pay period to begin after ratification of the agreement which is the more traditional approach to timing.

Please see the information below for details about the other key features of our offer. It’s our hope that after your review, you’ll conclude that these terms will provide you with highly attractive wages and benefits and will strengthen Kaiser Permanente’s ability to be the best place in health care to work and to receive care.

Contract Proposal Summary
(*Items listed are subject to bargaining)

(*Items listed are subject to bargaining)

Your Personal Economics

Annual Performance Sharing Bonus of up to $3,000* A Ratification Bonus of 1% will be paid to full- and part-time active employees employed on the date the new contract is ratified. No changes to Active Medical and Pension Programs Annual dental coverage* Increased to a maximum of $1,500 Alternate Mental Health* Effective January 1, 2020, the Alternate Mental Health coverage will cover 80% of reasonable and customary charges, inclusive of both inpatient and outpatient, with no maximum number of visits. Increased tuition reimbursement to $3,000/year with $750 of the total usable for travel which brings this benefit on par with other roles. Wage Differential Enhancements* Differential increases for Evening and Night Shifts, and Bilingual Pay. Tax Deferred Retirement Savings* Effective January 1, 2021, Kaiser Permanente will match 100% of an eligible employee’s contribution to his/her EDC plan, up to three percent (3%) of the employee’s eligible compensation. Effective January 1, 2021, Employees working at Kaiser Permanente on December 31 of the applicable year who contribute throughout that year at least 2% of their eligible compensation, or 3% of eligible compensation if they participate in the EDC plan, will receive the applicable match from Kaiser Permanente on the total of his/her eligible compensation. Retiree Medical Health Reimbursement Account* Increased to $2,000 per year of service.

A special message to our Healthcare Professionals:

June 26, 2019

To our valued Audiologists, Speech Pathologists, Dietitians, and Health Educators,

The contract proposal that is currently out to you for consideration is as important to us as it is to you. We’ve been at the Bargaining Table for almost one full year. Our most recent discussions have yielded what we consider significant progress to address your concerns. We are disappointed by the recommendation of your union for you to reject the proposal which our bargaining teams did together and as a result, postpone the improvements that need to be made immediately.

As we shared in our message to you in early June, we hear your concerns and we’re responding to them. Your bargaining team colleagues shared your desire for inclusion in a collaborative process with management to design the future model of care. They also helped us understand your perspective on equity in rewards and recognition, and the desire to improve care for our members.

We believe the current offer under consideration addresses most of your personal and professional interests and will relieve many of your immediate concerns and daily challenges. But if we are to move forward on addressing these critical issues, we need to have a contract.

We urge you to vote in favor of ratification of the proposal, so we can all move forward.

For your reference, we’ve included information that highlights the benefits of our offer. You also can view this information online at http://www.dev-kpscalfyi.org.php56-11.lan3-1.websitetestlink.com/home/ ^[8].

Thank you for your dedication to our patients and the work you do every day. Together, we will work to improve health care, make Kaiser Permanente the employer of choice for our healthcare professionals, and develop a model that can benefit the entire nation.

Sincerely,

Julie Miller-Phipps president, Southern California Region Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals

Annie Russell, RN, MSN, MBA chief operating officer, Southern California Permanente Medical Group

Summary of Kaiser Permanente key Contract Proposals for the Healthcare Professionals Unit (*Items listed are subject to bargaining)

Across the Board Wage Increases and lump sum payments*

• Effective retroactively to October 7, 2018, an increase of 3%.
• Effective October 6, 2019, an increase of 2% and a 1.5% lump sum bonus for full- and part-time active employees.
• Effective October 5, 2020, an increase of 2% and a 1.5% lump sum bonus for full- and part-time active employees.

Annual Performance Sharing Bonus of up to $3,000*

A Ratification Bonus of 1% will be paid to full- and part-time active employees employed on the date the new contract is ratified.

No changes to Active Medical and Pension Programs

Annual dental coverage*
Increased to a maximum of $1,500

Alternate Mental Health*
Effective January 1, 2020, the Alternate Mental Health coverage will cover 80% of reasonable and customary charges, inclusive of both inpatient and outpatient, with no maximum number of visits.

Increased tuition reimbursement to $3,000/year with $750 of the total usable for travel which brings this benefit on par with other roles.

Wage Differential Enhancements*
Differential increases for Evening and Night Shifts, and Bilingual Pay.

Tax Deferred Retirement Savings*
Effective January 1, 2021, Kaiser Permanente will match 100% of an eligible employee’s contribution to his/her EDC plan, up to three percent (3%) of the employee’s eligible compensation. Effective January 1, 2021, Employees working at Kaiser Permanente on December 31 of the applicable year who contribute throughout that year at least 2% of their eligible compensation, or 3% of eligible compensation if they participate in the EDC plan, will receive the applicable match from Kaiser Permanente on the total of his/her eligible compensation.

Retiree Medical Health Reimbursement Account*
Increased to $2,000 per year of service.

* An asterisk means this item is subject to bargaining. 

Yes. We have been developing additional methods of providing care should the surge exceed our bed capacity. We are able to transfer patients to alternative hospitals like USNS Mercy, the new LA Surge Hospital, and numerous temporary field hospitals. Further, we have converted more than 90% of our primary care appointments to virtual care. This has readied supplementary resources to meet the expected growth in needed care. Kaiser Permanente has confronted highly infectious diseases over the years, and we are confident we can safely and expertly treat coronavirus patients while maintaining the safety of our employees and physicians.