In early March 2020, as it became clear the novel coronavirus was closing in on Southern California, clinical trials leaders from the Department of Research & Evaluation began assessing options for an investigational treatment that could be studied through clinical trials. With no approved medications to fight COVID-19, the need for an investigational option to
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Growing numbers of patients are diagnosed with cancer between the ages of 15 and 39. These younger cancer patients can have complex health needs after their cancer treatment and should receive health care that includes screening for new cancers, addresses potential issues related to their treatment, and emphasizes general preventive care. Researchers at Kaiser Permanente
Read moreYoung cancer survivors were more likely to be on long-term opioid therapy when compared to their counterparts without cancer. But among those on long-term opioid therapy, young cancer survivors were less likely to develop opioid use disorder than their peers without cancer, according to Kaiser Permanente research. The study was published in Cancer in May
Read moreA novel treatment algorithm developed and implemented within Kaiser Permanente Southern California increased the use of effective medications for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and reduced treatment disparities for Hispanic and Black patients. “Studies show Hispanic and Black people with MS typically have higher levels of disability than white people, but no studies have addressed
Read moreNavdeep S. Sangha, MD, is a vascular neurologist and co-assistant chief of Neurology at the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center. He is the director of the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Regional Stroke Program and the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Telestroke Program. He joined Los Angeles Medical Center’s Neurology Department in 2012. As the principal investigator
Read more*Final in a series highlighting research nurses during Nurses Week 2025* Michael Fechter, LVN, was an emergency medical technician, working to become a paramedic and firefighter. On one emergency call, a critical care transport nurse suggested something that changed the direction of his career. “She told me that I needed to be where I could
Read more*Fourth in a series highlighting research nurses during Nurses Week 2025* Ruchy Maini, LVN, is a research nurse working at the Antelope Valley Medical Offices in Lancaster. She has worked with patients in clinical trials with the Department of Research & Evaluation since 2019. While she has worked in home health and skilled nursing facility
Read more*Third in a series highlighting research nurses during Nurses Week 2025* Noli Raz, RN, works at the Kaiser Permanente Irvine Medical Center with the CCTAP (Cancer Clinical Trials Access Program) team. He began his health care career more than 30 years ago as a phlebotomist at the Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center, where he worked
Read more*Second in a series highlighting research nurses during Nurses Week 2025* Kari Kayser, RN, works at the Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center with the CCTAP (Cancer Clinical Trials Access Program) team. Her choice to dress as a nurse on career day as a kindergartener showed an early passion for a vocation that she now
Read more*First in a series highlighting research nurses during Nurses Week 2025* Michelle Jurado, MSN, RN, PHN, didn’t intend to become a nurse. She was good with numbers, so she went into finance in the aerospace industry. It was going really well. But then one night at a party, her mom missed a step, fell, and
Read moreJaejin An, PhD, was awarded the Early Career Investigator of the Year award at this year’s Health Care Systems Research Network conference held this month in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. An is a pharmacoepidemiologist and cardiovascular outcomes researcher for the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation whose work focuses on disease management,
Read morePeople born in countries with a high burden of tuberculosis (TB) and living in the United States have higher rates of TB disease, and may need more focused screening, according to new Kaiser Permanente research. The study also found higher rates of TB among patients with certain high-risk medical conditions. The study was published in Open
Read moreEye specialists at Kaiser Permanente Southern California studied whether using a standardized testing criteria among younger adults could improve care, reduce unnecessary testing, and potentially reduce blindness from glaucoma. The eye specialists, working with researchers at University of Southern California, published Outcomes of Glaucoma Referrals in Adults Aged 18 to 40 years in JAMA Network
Read moreAniket Kawatkar, PhD, MS, is a research scientist who is interested in understanding the drivers of health care utilization and their associated economic, clinical, and patient-reported outcomes. Dr. Kawatkar uses established methods from econometrics, discrete choice experiments, and net benefit analysis to evaluate interventions and treatments aimed at improving patient care in real-world clinical settings.
Read moreA Kaiser Permanente found that bariatric surgery reduced health care costs for adults with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in February 2025. “The study shows that both Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) help reduce health care costs for people with Type 2
Read moreIn a Kaiser Permanente Southern California study, 1 in 23 adolescents met the eligibility criteria for metabolic and bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery. The findings suggest that about 1 million adolescents across the United States could be eligible for the procedure. “Understanding the population of adolescents who qualify for weight loss surgery
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