Bernard J. Tyson has sadly passed away at the age of 60. He was the chairman and CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals — known as Kaiser Permanente, one of America’s leading integrated health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. In 2018, under his leadership, the company generated almost $80 billion in revenue.
Tyson assumed the role of chairman in January 2014 and served as CEO for six years. His career at Kaiser Permanente spanned more than 34 years, and he had successfully managed all major aspects of the organization during this time, serving in roles from hospital administrator and division president to chief operating officer of the Oakland, California-based national health care organization.
Under Tyson’s leadership, Kaiser Permanente continued to lead and set the expectation for delivering affordable, accessible, high-quality health care and improving the health of its members and the 66 million residents in its communities. The organization is delivering on the promise of its “Thrive” campaign by bringing an industry-leading 21st-century approach to health care and coverage that is helping members achieve their aspirations of total health - physical health as well as mental health and wellness. Kaiser Permanente’s 217,000 employees and 22,000 Permanente Medical Group physicians provide personalized, coordinated, and technologically advanced care that consistently delivers some of the best clinical outcomes in the nation, while also leading the country in prevention, cutting-edge treatment, patient safety, and quality.
Tyson’s influence has been felt both nationally and internationally. Time has listed him on its list of the most influential people in the world and named him one of the Health Care 50. Also, in addition to being named by Modern Healthcare as one of the most influential people in health care for 5 consecutive years, he’s been No. 2 on the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare list and on Fast Company’s list of most creative people.
A San Francisco Bay Area native, Tyson earned a Master of Business Administration in Health Service Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Health Service Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. He also earned a leadership certificate from Harvard University.