Senior Caucus
About Senior Caucus
Senior Caucus was established in 1983, the first standing special interest group of the Group Health Cooperative Board. Its initial focus was education and end of life issues and expanded more broadly to all issues important to older adults and their health.
When GHC was acquired by Kaiser, KPWA continued to support the Senior Caucus , understanding the importance of the ‘consumer voice in healthcare decision making.
Senior Caucus now has more than 550 older members of Kaiser Permanente Washington (KPWA), is supported by KP, and is led by an all-volunteer member board.
Kaiser members are invited to join Senior Caucus to get regular updates and links to meetings. You can join by emailing memberparticipation@KP.ORG
Senior Caucus Webinars - Monthly First Friday Educational Meeting
These webinars are offered each month, September through June.
We will post the planned schedule for 2026-27 when it is availabe.
Past Senior Caucus Meetings
If you missed one of the Senior Caucus meetings or want to see the program again, please follow the links provided below:
JUNE 5, 2026 Extreme Heat and Human Health for Seniors https://youtu.be/xKX5aT2yl84
Mary Schaefer Badger D.O., F.A.C.O.I., F.A.W.M. is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine Specialist and is a Fellow of both the American College of Osteopathic Internists and the Academy of Wilderness Medicine. She received the US Public Health Service Distinguished Service Award for her work with the Navajo, before practicing in Spokane for 31 years. (Spokane’s Best Doctors). Since retiring from Kaiser, she has been volunteering with the Medical Reserve Corps and Disaster Response Teams. She is the chair of the ACOI Climate and Health Committee.
MAY 1, 2026 https://youtu.be/-43bJ5SZhbU
Trina Davis, MD, the current Medical Director of Innovation for KP Medical Foundation, spoke about the use of AI in healthcare. Dr Davis is completed her Family Medicine training at Group Health and has been at KP/GH for 13 years. She works at the Northgate Clinic as a family doctor who provides obstetrical care, and lives in NE Seattle with her husband and two sons.
APRIL 3, 2026 https://youtu.be/sT6D7QFkocg
Stephanie Lizza, the Senior Director of Community Health for Kaiser Permanente’s Northwest and Washington regions, provided an overview of the conditions that shape health beyond clinical care. Guided by a Community Health Needs Assessments, KP Washington's Community and Social Health team invests in community‑based organizations to expand access to care, address mental and behavioral health needs, improve food and economic security, and advance health equity across Washington.
MARCH 6, 2026 https://youtu.be/Ulhkjn89WIs
Dr. Kehoe and Dr. Wilson presented on hospice and palliative care. Don Glickstein, past Director of Communications at GH, spoke on the physical activity and wellness covered programs.
FEBRUARY 6, 2026 https://youtu.be/88y_5_9_sHQ
Bekkah Johnson, Operations Supervisor for the New Member Welcome and Quality Assurance team and James Simpson, Clinical Consultant for Performance Improvement spoke. They shared insights on accessing care in various ways, whether you're in Washington or travelling, followed by brief Q&A session.
JANUARY 9, 2026 https://youtu.be/fFe5oj4gZs0
Kirk Larson, Washington State Public Affairs Representative for the Social Security Administration, discussed Social Security and Medicare (When are you eligible to receive retirement benefits? How does early retirement affect your benefits? Do you qualify for disability, survivors, and spouse benefits? How do you get the most from your benefits? What is the future of Social Security? When should you file for Medicare?
DECEMBER 5, 2025 https://youtu.be/gVQKHIFaYHY
Dr Jordan Chun, Medical Director, Consumer Experience and Sports Medicine, and orthopedist Dr Dorian Reid gave a talk titled “REPLACE: Your Guide to Joint Replacement Surgery”
OCTOBER 3, 2025 https://youtu.be/j4jzTUyOmCM
Victoria Lindholm discussed Medicare Plans at KP in 2026 and how to navigate open enrollment this year.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2025 https://youtu.be/N4Zk677Aql4
Mathew David Pauley, Regional Ethicist for Kaiser Permanente Northern California spoke about what healthcare ethics is, and how it operates at Kaiser Permanente.
JUNE 6, 2025 https://youtu.be/_-nsiNUbw5Y
Paul Minardi, MD, EVP & CEO, KP Medical Foundation gave an update on the work of the Medical Foundation.
MAY2, 2025 https://youtu.be/7cMnnWmAB60
Andrea Grace, MD, medical director of Geriatrics and Palliative Care at KPWA gave practical advice in ways to make appointments work for you, and other resources that are available to KP members.
APRIL 4, 2025 https://youtu.be/fkkh7Crwo4U
MARCH 7, 2025 https://youtu.be/noSEwWWnm14
Eric Larson, MD spoke about the most up to date research on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
FEBRUARY 7, 2025 https://youtu.be/-yQV0t2enxw
Mary Schaefer Badger, MD spoke about climate change. What you should know and what we should be doing.
Senior Caucus Board of Directors
Chris Fordyce, Geriatrician, Chair
Tom Morris, retired lawyer, Vice Chair
Becky Birch, Retired IBM executive
Walt Bowen, Chair of WA Senior Lobby
John Howe, retired neurosurgeon and ARMS link
Dorothy Mann, retired from DHS and prior chair of Group Health Cooperative
Jon Palmason, retired banker and disability advocate
Jay Sundahl, retired software developer