Kaiser Permanente has named Bechara Choucair, MD, MS, as its first ever Chief Community Health Officer. Join us in welcoming him to the NCG community! Read the snapshot of Kaiser's press release below:
OAKLAND, Calif. — Kaiser Permanente announced today that Bechara Choucair, MD, MS, has joined the organization as chief community health officer and senior vice president of Community Health and Benefit for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals.
“We are delighted to have Dr. Choucair join Kaiser Permanente,” said Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson. “As a nonprofit organization, we are dedicated to providing a meaningful portion of our revenue to invest in community health and well-being. While we directly care for nearly 11 million Kaiser Permanente members, our commitment is to improve the health of the 60 million people within the areas we serve. Dr. Choucair is the perfect addition to our team to advance Kaiser Permanente’s efforts to deliver on our promise to our members and our communities.”
Dr. Choucair will oversee Kaiser Permanente’s philanthropic giving, helping guide its participation in government-subsidized programs such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. And as the organization’s first chief community health officer, he will expand Kaiser Permanente’s legacy of community health leadership by maximizing the organization’s resources to strengthen existing partnerships and coalitions and to develop new ones to address broader social issues that impact community and individual health.
“I am honored to join Kaiser Permanente, which is known as a national leader in connecting its community health work to its quality and prevention agenda,” Dr. Choucair said. “Improving the health of communities is something I care deeply about, and I am excited to build on Kaiser Permanente’s visionary work.”