Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States Donates $1 Million to Holy Cross Health Foundation Fund

(ROCKVILLE, Maryland) – Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, the region’s top-rated local nonprofit health plan, announced a $1 million contribution to the Holy Cross Health Foundation, a not-for-profit organization devoted to raising philanthropic funds to support the mission of Holy Cross Health. This significant contribution to the Foundation's Kevin J. Sexton Fund to Increase Access to Health Care and Improve Community Health will enhance services for vulnerable community members at Holy Cross Health's four primary care health centers and two centers for obstetrics and gynecology care, and is expected to help thousands of at-risk individuals in Montgomery and Prince George's counties receive the care and support they need.

“Partnerships with local hospitals are integral to Kaiser Permanente’s ability to provide high-quality care to our members in the Mid-Atlantic region. Holy Cross Hospital has been an outstanding partner in this work over the years,” said Joseph Butz, Chief Operating Officer for Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States. “The commitment of Holy Cross to serving the most vulnerable is particularly clear in the Foundation’s work and the creation of the Sexton Fund. Kaiser Permanente is honored to make this landmark contribution in support of that effort. We must do what we can to increase access to quality care for all.”

Holy Cross Health is the only health system in Montgomery County that owns and operates safety-net health centers. In fiscal 2016, the four centers in Aspen Hill, Gaithersburg, Germantown and Silver Spring provided sustainable and affordable primary care to adults and children who face financial barriers to access care through more than 37,000 patient visits. Services include primary care, preventive care, screenings, chronic disease management, behavioral health, health education, and follow-up care for emergency room and hospital visits. Holy Cross Health is also the largest safety-net provider of OB/GYN care in Montgomery County, with the Holy Cross Hospital and the Holy Cross Germantown Hospital OB/GYN Clinics providing critical pre-natal and follow-up care to more than 22,000 women with no health insurance and limited financial resources.

This $1 million gift from Kaiser Permanente is its latest commitment to the Holy Cross Health Foundation, and marks three decades of partnership between the two organizations. At this year’s annual Holy Cross Health gala on October 22, 2016, Holy Cross Health President and CEO Norvell V. Coots, MD, presented a prestigious Cornerstone Award to Kaiser Permanente in celebration of 30 years of partnership and the long-standing shared commitment to the health of the community.

"Holy Cross Health has grown significantly in recent years to meet the health care needs of a growing community, including opening Holy Cross Germantown Hospital in upper Montgomery County, expanding Holy Cross Hospital to provide the safety and dignity of private rooms to patients, and opening a fourth primary care health center to serve children and adults who face financial barriers to accessing care," says Wendy Friar, chief development officer of Holy Cross Health. "Kaiser Permanente has been an extraordinary partner to Holy Cross Health for 30 years, providing clinical services and contributing to community health initiatives as well. We are extremely grateful for Kaiser Permanente's generous $1 million contribution to the Sexton Fund and their continued support of Senior Fit, one of our leading community health programs."

Senior Fit is a free, 45-minute exercise program created by Holy Cross Health and designed for seniors age 55 and older. Senior Fit classes serve thousands of seniors, at 23 locations across Montgomery and Prince George's counties and the District of Columbia.

Both organizations are committed to increasing access to care for the residents of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties through the Kevin J. Sexton Fund and other programs. Improving access often helps individuals seek care earlier, leading to better outcomes and lower treatment costs.

About Holy Cross Health and the Holy Cross Health Foundation


Holy Cross Health, founded in 1963 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, is a comprehensive Catholic health care delivery system that includes two hospitals and a network of community health centers in Montgomery County, Maryland. Holy Cross Hospital, the largest hospital in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, is located on the Kevin J. Sexton Campus of Holy Cross Health in Silver Spring. Holy Cross Germantown Hospital is the first hospital in the nation located on the campus of a community college. Holy Cross Health Network provides primary care at health centers located in Silver Spring, Aspen Hill, Gaithersburg, and Germantown and community education throughout Montgomery and Prince George's counties. The Holy Cross Health Foundation is a not-for-profit organization devoted to raising philanthropic funds to support the mission of Holy Cross Health by improving the health of the community. Visit HolyCrossHealth.org for more information about the programs and facilities of Holy Cross Health.

About Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States


Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States region, headquartered in Rockville, Maryland, provides and coordinates complete health care services for more than 660,000 members through 29 medical centers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Founded in 1980, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is a total health organization comprising Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., and the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, P.C., an independent medical group that features more than 1,300 physicians. Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States is the only Private plan available through employer-sponsored health coverage in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia – and one of only 13 Private health plans available nationwide – to earn a five out of five rating from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health Insurance Plan Ratings 2016–2017. In addition, Kaiser Permanente has the No. 1 Medicare plan in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. For more information about Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, visit kp.org or follow us on Twitter, twitter.com/KPMidAtlantic, or Facebook, www.facebook.com/kpthrive.

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