Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center Received the Excellence in Employment Award

(November 1, 2017) PathPoint presented Kaiser Permanente - Los Angeles Medical Center with an Excellence in Employment Award from the California Disability Services Association in recognition of its strong record of employing persons with developmental disabilities. Kaiser Permanente has worked with PathPoint's Project SEARCH internship program for young adults with development disabilities for two years, and hired eight PathPoint participants at the conclusion of the program into permanent jobs in the Central Service, Materials Management, Housekeeping, and Kitchen Service departments. During the one-year, workplace immersion Project SEARCH program, interns gain daily hands-on work experience at Kaiser with different departments during the mornings and receive PathPoint classroom instruction in the afternoons on interviewing, getting along with co-workers, job searches, etc. The goal of the program is gaining competitive skills and employment.

"We're excited that Kaiser has received recognition for its leadership in inclusive hiring," said Maria Ortiz, vice president of PathPoint's Los Angeles Division. "They are a great partner, ensuring the interns have a successful learning experience and valuing them as members of their team."

Kaiser Permanente-Los Angeles Medical Center has 1,800 employees and offers comprehensive health care services in Los Angeles, including primary care, obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics.

The Excellence in Employment Award program is sponsored and run by the California Disability Services Association (CDSA), which has been the voice of developmental disability service providers in California for more than 40 years. CDSA is a trade association representing 80-plus community-based, direct care providers whose common purpose is to help Californians with developmental disabilities lead productive and fulfilling lives of their choosing. These organizations serve 51,500 clients and employ some 19,000 people.

About PathPoint

PathPoint is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing services to people with disabilities or disadvantages in order to reach their fullest potential. PathPoint provides employment, community access, independent living, and behavioral health services, in five Central Coast and Southern California counties: Kern, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.

Photo (left to right): Randa Khalil, Manager, Environmental Services, Kaiser Permanente; Maria Ortiz, VP, PathPoint LA Division; Annette Carpenter, Direct Support Professional, PathPoint; Kim Kaiser, Assistant Medical Center Administrator, Kaiser Permanente; Michael del Campo, Program Coordinator, PathPoint