August 29, 2024
Living longer and better lives
Kaiser Permanente in Southern California invests $10 million in Riverside County’s Blue Zones initiative to promote habits that improve physical and mental health.
Research shows that certain factors — including access to healthy food, physical activity, and social connections — can lead to longer, more high-quality lives.
At Kaiser Permanente, we believe good health requires more than high-quality care. Good health starts in a healthy community. That’s why we’re pleased to partner with Inland Empire Health Plan, Molina Healthcare, and other organizations to support Riverside County’s public health department, Riverside University Health System — Public Health, and its effort to bring the “Blue Zone” approach to its residents.
Promoting good health
The Blue Zone initiative is an exciting and ambitious 5-year strategic project led by Riverside University Health System — Public Health. This collaborative effort seeks to galvanize residents, businesses, community-based organizations, governments, and more to participate directly and collectively in measurably improving physical health and mental well-being.
Kaiser Permanente’s grant will support the Blue Zone initiative in 5 Southern California communities that have faced long-standing conditions that impede good health: Riverside, Banning, Palm Springs, Coachella, and Mead Valley.
The secret to a long, happy life
The term “Blue Zones” was popularized by a book by Dan Buettner and a Netflix documentary series. It describes lifestyle characteristics of residents in specific communities where people have enjoyed extraordinarily long, healthy lives. The common characteristics are largely consistent with Kaiser Permanente’s guidance on healthy living and include:
- Regular, moderate physical activity
- A plant-based diet that includes lots of vegetables, beans, fruits, and nuts, and less meat
- Strong social connections and sense of belonging
- Routines that reduce stress
- A sense of purpose
The Blue Zone initiative is a systems-level approach that addresses social, economic, and environmental factors that affect health positively or negatively. As part of its Community Health Improvement Plan, Riverside University Health System — Public Health is committed to engaging with its partners to promote community health by improving the conditions for mental and physical health and equity at a population level.
Our commitment to communities
John Yamamoto, vice president of Community Health and Government Relations for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, said, “Kaiser Permanente believes that community health requires both access to high-quality health care and investing in healthier communities. We applaud Riverside University Health System — Public Health’s leadership in seeking to improve community health and wellness where health begins, in the neighborhoods where people live, work, and play. We are excited to join county and local government, our fellow health care systems, the business community, community-based organizations, residents of the 5 Riverside communities, and Blue Zones in this collective endeavor.”
“Supporting the public health infrastructure in our communities is a priority for Kaiser Permanente," said Sammy Totah, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente in Riverside. "Riverside is the 10th largest county in the nation with a diverse population which includes more than 560,000 Kaiser Permanente members. Investing in this community contributes to our goal to achieve equitable health outcomes by improving the conditions for health and equity in our communities.”
Learn more about Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to building healthier communities.
