Kaiser Permanente (No. 2 on the Fair360, formerly DiversityInc Top 50 Companies list) has partnered with the National Organization on Disability (NOD) to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. Kaiser Permanente is both a member of the NOD Corporate Leadership Council and was named a 2017 NOD Leading Disability Employer.
One example of the company’s commitment is Kaiser Permanente’s internship program, in partnership with Project Search,which introduces young people withdisabilities to various career paths.But it’s not just the young interns who benefit. Ozzie Martinez,chief administrative officerat Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center, also has seen a cultural shift as a result.
The students with disabilities”come in, and they’re engaged, they’re excited to learn, and I think ultimately what they’ve done is created environments where our teams have become better,” says Martinez.
In the past six years, more than 80 percent of interns who’ve taken part in the internship program have received full-time jobs with benefits.
Watch the video from NBCLA’s report
