Iremember when Kaiser Permanente launched its Thrive campaign on television in 2004. As a long time California resident but somewhat shorterterm Kaiser Permanente member, it struck me that this behemoth of an organization, established by Henry Kaiser in 1945 to care for the workers in his shipyards and steel mills, was now touting in its advertisements that they stood for Pilates, broccoli, dental floss, and treadmills. Long known for its low-cost, dependable care for millions of Californians and others; its nonprofit status; and its commitment to community health, they took a bold stand in saying that health was not an industry but a cause. So what did all this mean to us, the members of Kaiser Permanente? I called my local Kaiser Permanente hospital and asked if I could come to a Pilates class or if there was a treadmill I could use. Unfortunately there wasn’t. So what was Thrive and why was it launched? I posed that question to Patricia Gin, senior brand strategist at Kaiser Permanente, who has worked on the campaign since its inception. She says that Thrive was an external expression of Kaiser Permanente’s commitment to “total health,” the result of several years of in-depth consumer market research into the public’s perceptions of health and healthcare. They found that perceptions of healthcare delivery were often negative, expressed by words such as red tape and paperwork, but personal health was viewed as more than not being sick, and included lifestyle, life balance, and optimism. Soon Thrive helped galvanize many Kaiser Permanente initiatives, including the following: (1) food policy—promoting healthy food choices in inpatient food services, cafeterias, and vending machines; (2) farmer’s markets—25 facilities in the country have established on-campus farmer’s markets offering healthy produce to employees and members; (3) health and wellness initiatives—classes provide instruction in exercise, yoga, tai chi, smoking cessation, mindfulness, and stress reduction; (4) Healthy Eating Active Living Community Benefit Programs—these devoteseveralhundredmilliondollarsinservicesandfundingtocommunityorganizations to promote the overall health of communities in which Kaiser Permanente is located; and (5) online health tools— tools for weight loss, nutrition, stress reduction, and smoking cessation are now available. 1 In an effort to further deliver on the promise of the expectations created by their advertising campaign, they set out to understand the needs, emotions, and outlook on health of their members. In 2007 they launched a methodical research initiative that covered all eight regions of the country where Kaiser Permanente operated—at their hospitals, medical office buildings, and even competitor facilities. It included walk-throughs, interviews, observational studies, and workshops with various constituents. The research revealed some key themes regarding needs expressed by members with regard to information, clinical care delivery, service, and facilities. They found that information, whetherthroughtechnologyorcommuni