OAKLAND (CBS SF) – The federal government is teaming up with Oakland-based Kaiser Permanente to identify and eliminate disparities in the treatment and care of HIV and AIDS patients across the country.

The nationwide challenge, to increase the number of HIV-positive people getting effective treatment, was made this week to healthcare providers, at a summit in Washington, D.C.

KCBS’ Anna Duckworth Reports:

“This, I think, is the start of what will be multiple different programs that we at Kaiser Permanente can offer to physicians across the country, to private insurance companies, to community clinics,” Robert Pearl, M.D., executive director and CEO of the Permanente Medical Group said.

Kaiser is considered the national model because its HIV mortality rates are half the average across the country, and because the program has enrolled – and kept – people in its programs at a rate of 90%, more than double the rest of the country.

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