Annual Reports
Research and innovation for better health
In 2023, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI) scientists conducted impactful studies on cancer screening, vaccine safety, suicide prevention, dementia care, and more — all contributing to transformative effects on health care.
Annual report ARCHIVE
2022
A commitment to improving health and health care for all
In 2022, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute continued to lead important research and collaborations to improve health and health care. Highlights included important findings to improve suicide prevention — part of one of the first projects funded by the Kaiser Permanente Task Force for Firearm Injury Prevention. We also had several research-to-practice stories to highlight this year, including the launch of a home screening program for colorectal cancer and a pilot for home blood pressure monitoring. And the institute received a major grant of $10 million to continue vaccine effectiveness research for the flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory diseases.
2021
A better future for the communities we serve
In 2021, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute partnered with researchers, health systems, and communities to help improve health care and address health inequities. Highlights this year included a new $55.6 million grant to diversify and broaden the participants and science of the Seattle-based Adult Changes in Thought Study, which seeks better ways to treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The institute also launched the Center for Accelerating Care Transformation, with the goal of accelerating the adoption of evidence-based, patient-centered practices to improve health for communities everywhere. These endeavors and all of our research innovating health and health care would not have been possible without our team of 314 talented, passionate, and perseverant scientists and support staff.
2020
Rising to the challenge of an extraordinary year
In 2020, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute successfully met unparalleled challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on experience and capabilities built over decades. Our society’s need for research like ours at this time is reflected in our operating budget, which grew more than 17% in 2020, topping $64 million. This includes more than $57 million in grants and contracts — a 25% increase over the previous year. Much of this growth comes from new work related to COVID-19, mental health, and finding safe alternatives to opioids for treatment of chronic pain. By leveraging our capabilities for research in large, real-world populations, we look forward to the challenges ahead.
2019
Advancing our science in a time of transition
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute expanded its operating budget in 2019, reaching more than $54 million. Federal grant and contract revenue totaled $38.8 millionand other sponsored revenue topped $9 million. At the same time, the Institute’s volume of active grants remained steady at 29 0 as our scientific published 348 articles in peer-reviewed journals. The Institute also welcomed new leadership in 2019. In August, Rita Mangione-Smith, MD, MPH, became Kaiser Permanente Washington’s new vice president for research and health care innovation and executive director of the Institute. Katie Coleman, MSPH, was named director of the Institute’s MacColl Center for Health Care Innovation in October.
2018
New growth to meet our shared mission
Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute’s success in 2018 reflects growing recognition of the value of embedding research in real-world health care settings like Kaiser Permanente. Generalizable research such as ours improves care for health problems affecting millions—issues such as addiction, cancer, infectious disease, and chronic conditions like heart disease, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and more. A key 2018 initiative was our continued development of the Learning Health System Program. This effort leverages the Institute’s world-class research capabilities to create a culture of continuous learning based on partnerships among our scientists and Kaiser Permanente Washington’s operational leaders. Growing support for this and other Institute priorities demonstrates our regional leaders’ commitment to research as integral to Kaiser Permanente’s mission of improving health for our members and all people in the communities we serve.
2017
Growth & new opportunities
2017 marked a unique milestone for Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, as we became the eighth research center in Kaiser Permanente’s national research network. This transition brought us a fresh opportunity to contribute to the Kaiser Permanente Washington operating plan, and we launched our new Learning Health System (LHS) Program—an effort the organization is funding to advance the use of our research capabilities to continually provide better care for our members. For the second year in a row, we welcomed new faculty and saw our total operating budget top $50 million. In 2018, we look forward to continued growth, with active faculty recruitment underway.
Annual Report PDFs
Land Acknowledgment
Our Seattle offices sit on the occupied land of the Duwamish and by the shared waters of the Coast Salish people, who have been here thousands of years and remain. Learn about practicing land acknowledgment.