Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Question: The “Permanente” in Kaiser Permanente comes from a Bay Area landmark that Henry J. Kaiser’s wife, Bess, loved so much she asked him to borrow its name. What is it?

Answer: Permanente Creek, which flows out of the hills above Cupertino. Spanish settlers named it “Permanente” because it runs year-round, a permanent source of water for their ranches. Henry and Bess Kaiser had a lodge on the creek, and she asked him to use the name for the medical care program Dr. Sidney Garfield created for Kaiser Shipyard workers in Richmond during World War II.