Kaiser Permanente
09/12/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/12/2025 09:48
Celebrating 80: Judy Childers shares why she’s a member
On July 21, 1945, Kaiser Permanente opened to the public, starting a legacy of care that supports the health and well-being of millions of families.
For 80 years, we've remained true to our mission: to provide high-quality, affordable health care and improve the health of our members and communities.
It's a shared journey - across decades, across communities, and across lives.
Judy Childers has been part of that journey since she first became a Kaiser Permanente member half a century ago. She's now in her late 70s and lives in Vancouver, Washington.
What's kept Childers a member for so long? She explains in her own words.
Family tradition
My mother was a very early Kaiser Permanente employee. So, I became a member when I was a child.
I graduated high school at 17 and then started working at Kaiser Permanente in 1965.
I moved quite a bit over the years. Whenever I moved back to an area that allowed me to choose Kaiser Permanente for my care, I did.
High-quality care
When I was 20 years old, I was in a very bad car accident. Half my face was removed, and my arm was crushed.
It took my Kaiser Permanente doctors 2 years to put me back together. Having that excellent care and support from a health care organization is so appreciated.
Being a young woman and having half of my face rebuilt - you become very dependent on and supportive of the people who did that. My doctors did such an excellent job. I'm a very loyal customer.
The right care at the right time
I've had cancer 7 times. Kaiser Permanente did my most significant surgeries.
I had ovarian cancer in my 30s. If you know anything about ovarian cancer, it's pretty bad. But I've lived a long time since then. It was the Kaiser Permanente physicians and care teams that saved me. I'm so grateful.
I had a condition called trigeminal neuralgia. It's a nerve condition that can cause intense pain in your face and head. It is debilitating.
Once, when I was visiting Arizona, I ended up in the emergency room because of the extreme pain. I was referred to a neurologist in town. He told me there was a renowned doctor who developed the first successful surgery for trigeminal neuralgia.
The doctor he recommended was a Kaiser Permanente doctor in Oregon 30 minutes from where I lived. That was great. He had me in surgery in 3 days. The pain stopped immediately. I've never had a problem since. That's a miracle to me.
Now, I have a type of leukemia. I've been with my oncologist for more than 10 years. I am tested and have appointments every 6 months. I'll continue with these follow-up appointments for the rest of my life. Although my cancer isn't curable, it's stable and has been for over 18 years.
You can't ask for any better than that. It's amazing.
More member stories
Celebrating 80: Camille Cline shares why she's a member
Celebrating 80: Cathy Hays shares why she's a member
Celebrating 80: Kenneth Barnhart shares why he's a member
For generations, Kaiser Permanente has led the way in delivering care that puts people first.
We've pioneered preventive care, closed health gaps, and embraced technology to improve care and outcomes.
Our history is rich with smart, practical ideas that have improved health and helped members take charge of their health.
That kind of innovation continues today and fuels our mission to bring health to many more generations to come.
Kaiser Permanente published this content on September 12, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 12, 2025 at 15:48 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]