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Reaching The Top In Health Care
by Mary Welch
June 1, 2007
Carolyn Kenny has climbed Aconcagua, which at 22,841 feet is the highest
mountain in the Southern and Western hemispheres. She’s also climbed the 19,341-foot Mount
Kilimanjaro in Africa, and the 17,342- foot Ixtaccihuati, the third highest volcano in Mexico and
the seventh tallest mountain in North America.
It’s a good thing that Kenny likes a challenge. Big challenges. Really big challenges. As
president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Georgia Inc., Kenny is in charge of the health
insurance needs of 277,000 members, as well as 12 medical facilities in metro Atlanta, and a
network of affiliated hospitals and physicians.
The Kaiser system is a bit different from most insurance companies or hospitals groups, for
that matter. The company, which has eight regional groups, is an insurance company but then also
operates the delivery systems for those who are insured by the insurance arm of Kaiser. In other
words, it owns and operates the hospitals and medical centers that ideally those insured by Kaiser
would go to for medical treatment.
"It’s a bit hard to explain," she says. "Well, OK, it’s more than a bit hard. But our
business model is unique in that we are an insurance company that exclusively works with our
delivery systems to provide outstanding health-care at a reasonable price. We believe it provides
comprehensive health-care services, and I think it will be the wave of the future."
She admits that usually insurance companies and hospitals are viewed as more adversaries
rather than partners. "We are an insurance company that purchases hospital services. It’s a
buyer-seller relationship. But we also are a medical group that takes care of our patients
exclusively. We are two companies that together are in an exclusive relationship. We believe it
gives our members an organized delivery system that is well managed. We think we can do a better
job of controlling the cost of care and producing higher outcomes."
Another benefit between this symbiotic relationship is that the insurance aspect of Kaiser
has a vested interest in keeping its members healthy, she says. " There are studies that show that
fewer
women are getting mammograms because of the cost and lack of insurance. But in our network,
more women are getting mammograms because we have a large community outreach program, and we
encourage preventive care."
The 277,000 members in the plan in Georgia may use out-of-network suppliers but the hospitals
rarely accept those who are not in the network, Kenny says. Kenny is in charge of it all, including
overseeing the nurses, lab and radiology technicians — everything and everybody, except the
physician groups. Overall, she has about 2,000 employees under her and as she says, " I’m
ultimately responsible for the quality of services our members receive. I’m accountable for it all,
including the physician services."
Although she, like others in her profession, faces the everyday challenges of the health-care
field, it does have its rewarding moments, she says. “I’ve been in this position since 1999, and I
really enjoy watching the people grow, develop and deliver throughout the years. I’ve seen a lot of
people as they are starting out in their careers and have seen them get to where they are now. It’s
very rewarding."
Still, it’s hard for her to escape the health-care dilemma, especially since she is
responsible for two of the major branches in the healthcare tree — insurance and delivery. “I’m
very involved now in our growth and expansion plans, she says. "There is so much we can do in the
community."
She also is encouraged that so many of those involved in health-care are working together to
find a solution. "I see a lot more coalitions forming where they are looking for solutions," she
admits. "Politicians are getting more invested in the issue, and I think that will continue for
years. Of course, there are so many people who can’t afford insurance or don’t have insurance. And
I’m glad that the business leadership is involved as well. Health care is such a big economic issue
for businesses. It’s a large part of their cost structure. I’m sure everyone will be working hard
to get a solution to health care so that people get the service they need at a reasonable cost."
Kenny, who has a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Irvine and a master’s
in health services administration from the University of Michigan, started her career at Kaiser in
1982. She held several positions including managing a long-range facility and service planning. In
1989, she was named to the senior leadership role in the newly established Georgia region. A
graduate of Leadership Atlanta, Kenny sits on several boards, including the Georgia Association of
Health Plans, the Atlanta Educational Telecommunications Collaborative Inc., and the Institute of
Health Administrating in the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University.
When she is not working, she enjoys working out and tinkering around the house, particularly
in the garden. She also has a long-range plan. "Eventually, I’d like to get to the point where my
husband and I can spend a lot of time traveling oversees for weeks at a time," she says. Mountain
climbing is no longer an activity, she says.
Perhaps she is saving her energy to climb to new professional heights and overcome the
challenges of health care. "I’m just too old to climb mountains these days," she laughs. "I like to
hike."
