Impact Archives

IMPACT September 2025

September 16, 2025

Articles include:

Focus Feature: New insights into opioid tapering and risk of overdose
Q&A with Dr. Maheen Humayun, one of our new postdocs
COVID-19 vaccine not linked to tinnitus
Fewer breast cancer patients received imaging follow-up after COVID-19 hit
Finding factors that could help patients achieve remission from Type 2 diabetes

Impact July 2025

July 31, 2025

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Algorithm improves MS treatment while reducing disparities
R&E's 2024 Annual Report is now available
Researchers study young cancer survivors and their opioid use
Comorbidities could increase risk of other cancers for breast cancer survivors
Tailored outreach may be needed for some young cancer survivors
Continuing opioid use in breast cancer survivors associated with increased risk of death

April 2025

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Doctors assess glaucoma risk among younger adults
Investigator wins prestigious award
Identifying those most at risk of TB
Bariatric surgery reduces costs for patients with type 2 diabetes
Research finds ways to improve outcomes for heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease
Many U.S. teens may be eligible for weight loss surgery
Medicaid enrollees less vaccinated during pregnancy across U.S.
Intensive blood pressure control and patients with chronic kidney disease
Study highlights the impact of electronic media use on young people
New study sheds light on incidence of IgA nephropathy
RSV vaccine protects older adults against severe illness

IMPACT December 2024

December 4, 2024

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Dr. Javed Sheikh named 2024 Physician Researcher of the Year by the Southern California Permanente Medical Group
Kaiser Permanente’s vaccine side-effect monitor bolsters safety
Study finds air pollution may increase risk of preterm birth
Younger adults respond to colorectal cancer screening outreach
Opioid use among breast cancer survivors can increase risk of falls
No link between COVID-19 vaccines and cardiac-related death
People with heart failure may benefit from testing for coronary artery disease

Sept 2024

September 25, 2024

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Best flu protection for seniors?
No increased risk associated with flu vaccines given in successive pregnancies
Gay men may be aging faster
Beta blockers not all the same for patients with heart failure and CKD

IMPACT August 2024

August 15, 2024

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Soda tax may impact children’s weight
Program helping patients lower cholesterol nets international award
Recognition goes to research showing exercise can reduce COVID outcomes
Reduced death rates from colorectal cancer with FIT screening
Eating raw vegetables may improve bladder cancer outcomes

IMPACT Annual Report

July 2, 2024

Articles include:

Focus Feature: 60 years of transforming care
Welcome to our 60th anniversary of research
In the 1950s and 1960s, research was labor of love
Research became more formalized in the 1970s and 1980s
Research & Evaluation aspirations of growth began in the 1990s
Researchers began to tap into robust data systems in the 2000s
With the 2010s, came an emphasis on transforming care
Research draws global attention in the 2020s

IMPACT May 2024

May 29, 2024

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Investigating the barriers to saving lives through colonoscopies
Study sheds light on needs of young people who survive cancer
Moderna bivalent COVID-19 vaccine protection wanes over time
Pfizer COVID bivalent booster protects well against hospitalization

Impact February 2024

February 7, 2024

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Man who once dreamed of being a wildlife biologist nabs physician researcher award
Kaiser Permanente Southern California to lead CDC-funded center to improve outbreak and disease prediction
Diabetes increased among kids during pandemic

IMPACT September 2023

September 18, 2023

Articles include:

Celebrating National Postdoc Appreciation Week
Five questions for … Dr. Titilola Labisi
Five questions for … Dr. Emily Rayens
Five questions for … Dr. Nehaa Khadka
Research helps determine what isn’t really helping
Kaiser Permanente colon cancer patients fare better

Annual Report edition

August 1, 2023

Articles include:

Unveiling the impact: R&E's 2022 Annual Report
Serving others by joining a cancer clinical trial
The rise of in-home cardiac rehabilitation
Cancer research focuses on patients’ total health
The COVID-19 aftermath: Researchers and physicians seek answers
Uncovering links between air pollution and COVID-19
Increasing vaccine equity in Southern California
Responding to a community outbreak through expanded access
Research committed to firearm injury prevention
Understanding racial disparities and outcomes in bariatric surgery

Impact March 2023

March 30, 2023

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Rallying to achieve vaccine equity
Extra pounds put kids at higher risk for hypertension
Paxlovid associated with lower risk of hospital admission
Atrial fibrillation may increase risk for dementia
KPSC chosen for initiative aimed at improving patient outcomes
2022 SCPMG Physician Researcher of the Year named

IMPACT January 2023

January 25, 2023

Articles include:

Focus Feature:
Immunocompromised people not getting recommended COVID shots
Original COVID-19 vaccine booster effect wanes against BA.4 and BA.5

IMPACT December 2022

December 16, 2022

Articles include:

Focus Feature: More exercise linked to less-severe COVID-19 outcomes across subgroups
Prescription guidelines help decrease opioid use
Smoking increases risk of bladder cancer recurrence

November 2022 survey

November 16, 2022

Articles include:

Your feedback can make IMPACT better
Look for more stories about research in our next IMPACT!

October 2022 IMPACT

October 24, 2022

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Study links youth firearm injuries to certain risk factors
Chronic metabolic conditions affect metastatic breast cancer survival rates
Exposure to air pollution worsens COVID-19 outcomes, even among the fully vaccinated
IMPACT newsletter survey
We have job openings

September 2022 IMPACT

September 22, 2022

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Antidepressants linked to lower risk of prostate cancer recurrence
Fewer hospitalizations for home-based cardiac rehabilitation patients
Increased health care use among patients after COVID-19
Meet post-doctoral fellow Dr. Sarah Carter
Meet post-doctoral fellow Dr. Lewei Duan
Meet post-doctoral fellow Dr. Ana Florea
Meet post-doctoral fellow Dr. Jennifer Ku
Meet post-doctoral fellow Dr. Nana Mensah
Meet post-doctoral fellow Dr. Amrita Mukherjee
Meet post-doctoral fellow Dr. Ado Rivera

IMPACT: 2021 Annual Report edition

September 1, 2022

Articles include:

Focus Feature: 2021 Annual Report
Patients are pivotal in COVID-19 vaccine research
R&E answers key vaccine safety and effectiveness questions
Researchers create text-based platform to monitor vaccine side effects
Exceptional collaboration tracks emerging variants in real time
Beyond the virus: Health impacts of the pandemic
Physician trailblazers seek answers to improve their patients’ health

August 10 IMPACT

August 10, 2022

Articles include:

Child abuse emergency department visits increased during pandemic lockdown
Public policy can improve pandemic masking adherence
COVID-19 boosters shown to be effective for adolescents

June 2022 Impact

June 30, 2022

Articles include:

Focus Feature: COVID-related hospitalizations are rare after Paxlovid treatment
Down syndrome linked to higher risk of severe COVID-19
New approach reduces colon cancer deaths
Omicron variant infections less severe than delta
Dr. Anny Xiang honored with prestigious award

May 2022 IMPACT

Articles include:

Focus Feature: COVID-19 vaccine protection and the immunocompromised
Cancer clinical trials at Kaiser Permanente
Heart attacks increased in days after 2020 election

IMPACT March 2022

March 29, 2022

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Shoulder pain rare after vaccination
A review of our 2021 research
3 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine highly effective against hospitalization from omicron or delta
Vaccine study looks to prevent E. coli sepsis
3 doses of Pfizer–BioNTech COVID vaccine better than 2

Feb. 2, 2022 IMPACT

February 2, 2022

Articles include:

Hospitalized or not, COVID-19 patients put high demands on health system
Depression screening improves care for patients with cancer
Shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of COVID-19

December 2021 IMPACT

December 20, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Moderna COVID-19 vaccine effective against virus variants
Heart attack patients may have delayed care over COVID-19 concerns
New Virtual Research Office enables physician research
People with HIV are at increased risk for heart failure
Higher risk of dementia for older adults living with HIV

November 2021 IMPACT

November 11, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Exercise during pandemic linked to better mental health
Study finds no increased risk of death among COVID-19 vaccine recipients
Kaiser Permanente members invited to join flu vaccine study
Kaiser Permanente study to assess COVID-19 antibodies in employees, physicians

October IMPACT

October 20, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Sleep medications increase risk of fractures in breast cancer survivors
COVID-19 delta variant associated with increased risk of severe disease
COVID-19 severity associated with air pollution from non-freeway traffic

September 2021 IMPACT

September 16, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Young children gained weight during the pandemic
Infant lung disease rates drop dramatically over 10-year effort
Vulnerable populations sought virtual care during pandemic
Bariatric surgery associated with better health for mothers

IMPACT SPECIAL EDITION: Illuminating the path through the pandemic, our 2020 Annual Report

August 27, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature:
Determining who is most at risk from COVID-19
Clinical trials bring hope during global pandemic
Searching for evidence to guide COVID-19 care
Scientists research masking adherence with communities across the country
Clinical trials are driving a revolution in stroke care
CDC disease detectives build bridges to national COVID-19 response

Impact August 11, 2021

August 11, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature: New protocol allows teen to go home same day as chest surgery
COVID-19 vaccine trials for children are underway
Risk of severe COVID-19 higher for patients who recently needed asthma care
Where you live may affect your long-term survival after heart attack
Risk of blood clots more than 3-fold higher in hospitalized adults with COVID-19

IMPACT June 30 2021

June 30, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center joins COVID-19 vaccine trial for children
Rates of heart failure deaths lower at Kaiser Permanente Southern California than U.S.
Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center to study experimental stroke drug
Marking an extraordinary year of clinical trials research
Kaiser Permanente members have higher survival rate after cancer diagnosis

IMPACT: May 6, 2021

May 6, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature: COVID-19 outcomes are more severe for people of color
Celebrating our extraordinary nurses
New Kaiser Permanente COVID-19 Vaccine Side Effect Monitoring System launches
Physical activity may reduce risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes
Child vaccination rates recovering since pandemic’s early days
Most patients’ end-of-life care wishes are met

IMPACT March 31 2021

March 31, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature: KPSC teams with Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech to assess real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines
Pneumonia vaccine may affect course of COVID-19
Residents lead advances in understanding of “broken heart” syndrome
Diabetic eye damage reflects future cardiovascular risks
New CIRT research projects aim to improve care

IMPACT March 2021

March 3, 2021

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Scientists and physicians continue to research COVID-19 risks and outcomes
Self-order option boosts colorectal cancer screening rates
Researchers examine association of preterm birth and chemicals in flame-retardant fabrics
Chest pain risk assessment may reduce treatment disparities

IMPACT Dec 2020

December 3, 2020

Articles include:

Focus Feature: New tool helps predict outcomes for COVID-19
Progression of children’s myopia may be influenced by race and ethnicity
People on dialysis have higher risk from COVID-19
Seeking early detection for pancreatic cancer
Kaiser Permanente San Diego enrolling patients in monoclonal antibody trial

IMPACT November 2020

November 2, 2020

Articles include:

Focus Feature: 2016 Presidential election associated with uptick in heart attacks
Scientists and physicians conduct research to improve COVID-19 testing and treatment
Value of quick noninvasive follow-up tests for chest pain patients questioned
Applying epidemiology to change care delivery and improve health

Impact News October 2020

October 13, 2020

Articles include:

Focus Feature: People invited to be observers in mask adherence study
Insomnia in breast cancer survivors correlated with depression
Increasing physical activity, and health, through policy change

IMPACT Sept 2020

September 3, 2020

Articles include:

Focus Feature: Physicians can influence people to try to lose weight
Obesity increases risk of death from COVID-19, particularly for men and younger people
Atypical femur fractures rise with longer bisphosphonate use
Improving care through research
Kaiser Permanente joins late-stage COVID-19 vaccine study