The Board of Directors for Kaiser Permanente, an Oakland, Calif.-based integrated healthcare provider and payer, recently named Bernard J. Tyson as the organization’s next CEO and Chairman. Tyson, the current president and chief operating officer, is taking over for George Halvorson, who has served as CEO and Chairman since 2002 and will retire next year.
Tyson will aim to ease the transition by joining the board of directors next month. He will assume the role of CEO after a six-month transition period. Halvorson will remain chairman through the end of 2013, at which time Tyson will assume the role of chairman and CEO.
“The full board of directors underwent an extensive internal and external search process meeting regularly to consider a number of highly qualified candidates, to identify the next leader of Kaiser Permanente,” Kim Kaiser, board member and chairman of the search committee, said in a statement. “The board’s decision to offer this position to Mr. Tyson is a testament to Kaiser Permanente’s robust internal succession planning process. During Mr. Tyson’s 28 years at Kaiser Permanente, he has demonstrated excellent leadership and vision for this organization, uniquely qualifying him to serve as our next chairman and CEO.”
Tyson has been president and COO of Kaiser for nearly two years. Prior, he served as executive vice president of health plan and hospital operations for Kaiser Permanente as well as senior vice president and COO for the organization’s regions outside of California.
“I am deeply honored to follow George Halvorson’s incredible leadership and to serve this great organization as its next chairman and chief executive officer,” Tyson said in a statement. “As we continue down the path of health care reform and the transformation of the health care industry, I am excited about leading an organization so committed to high-quality and affordable care for everyone.”
