Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente has pledged a $1 million grant to the American Heart Association's national Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund, which honors the legacy of Kaiser's late chair and CEO, the health system said.
The grant was announced Nov. 10, the one-year anniversary of Mr. Tyson's death. Kaiser said it will go toward improving health equity by investing in investing in local entrepreneurs and organizations that address social conditions that affect a person's health.
"Bernard was on a determined mission to transform health care in America, and through his leadership helped bring issues of equity into the mainstream. He touched so many lives, and I know through his legacy he will continue to touch lives," Greg Adams, chair and CEO of Kaiser, said in a news release. "As we have seen with COVID-19's disproportionate health and social impacts on Black, Latinx and other underserved communities, it's clear that there is far more work to be done. We are proud to honor Bernard's memory and help continue his life’s work with this contribution."
Mr. Tyson spent 34 years at Kaiser, becoming its first Black CEO in 2013 and chair in 2014. He was an advocate for improving health in under-resourced communities by addressing factors such as economic opportunity and housing security.
Kaiser said the $1 million grant will be distributed via the health system's national community benefit fund at the East Bay Community Foundation.