Kaiser Permanente (Oakland, Calif.). The organization that would become Kaiser Permanente began during the Great Depression at a 12-bed hospital in California that officially opened to the public in 1945. The system has grown since then and now consists of 38 hospitals, 668 medical offices and more than 21,000 physicians across California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Virginia, Oregon and Washington. Its community engagement programs focus on disadvantaged populations, including veterans and people displaced by hurricanes. The Kaiser Permanente health plan serves more than 11.3 million members.
