Investing in a safer future for all our communities
Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest integrated, nonprofit healthcare provider, established the Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education in 2022, in recognition of increasing gun violence and its devastating effects on the health of communities across the U.S. As part of the launch, the Center awarded a series of grants to organizations focused on reducing the incidence and impact of firearm violence in the U.S., laying the groundwork for the Center’s future collaborative work.
In 2023, Kaiser Permanente committed to invest an historic $25 million over five years to fund research through the Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education, which is coordinated in collaboration with the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention (HAVI). The Center supports equity-centered research that addresses the root causes of community violence, educates the public on causes and solutions, and partners with the most impacted communities to innovate, implement, and scale evidence-based health-focused interventions that prevent firearm violence.
The launch and subsequent expansion of the Center is part of Kaiser Permanente’s longstanding commitment to addressing violence as a public health issue. Through the Center, we will continue to support research into the causes of and interventions for firearm injuries with the same rigor and clinical expertise that we use to study and prevent strokes, cancer, heart disease, and other leading causes of death.
Vision
The Kaiser Permanente Center for Gun Violence Research and Education is pursuing a world free of gun violence, where impacted communities drive the meaningful change needed for a healthy and safe society.
Mission
The Center endeavors to transform the firearm violence prevention research and education field. We change narratives about the value and impact of actionable, health-focused solutions by:
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Partnering with communities disproportionately impacted by firearm violence;
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Uniting rigorous scientific discovery with community-led approaches; and
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Funding research and education initiatives that empower communities most impacted by firearm violence to create solutions to this national epidemic.
About the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention
The HAVI fosters a national network of hospital-community partnerships to support the development of hospital-based violence intervention programs (HVIPs). These programs address the social determinants of health for victims of firearm injury and are one component of a comprehensive community violence intervention (CVI) ecosystem. The HAVI serves over 85 cities in the U.S and beyond, providing training and technical assistance, strategic communications, policy development, peer learning, and research. Through its national research and evaluation working group and established partnership with the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma, the HAVI convenes and supports firearm violence researchers focused on health-based solutions. The HAVI has been covered in national media including CNN, the New York Times, and the Washington Post for its work addressing violence as a public health emergency, elevating the voice of violence prevention professionals (VPPs), and securing Medicaid reimbursement for VPPs in several states across the country.
The HAVI is a fiscally sponsored organization under the umbrella of Health Resources in Action (HRiA). HRiA was founded to serve as an intermediary grantmaking organization and has worked with numerous government and philanthropic institutions to fund over 1,200 investigative researchers for studies focused on clinical, population health, health systems, and health policy across a range of public health topics.
About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of healthcare. It is recognized as one of America’s leading healthcare providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente's mission is to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare services and to improve the health of its members and the communities it serves. They currently serve 12.7 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Its expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health.