Kaiser Permanente CEO Bernard Tyson Dies Unexpectedly at 60

November 11, 2019 - Bernard J. Tyson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, passed away unexpectedly in his sleep Sunday morning, the non-profit integrated delivery network announced in a press release on November 10. He was 60 years old.

Tyson became Kaiser’s first black CEO in 2013 and was named to the board of directors a year later. During his six-year tenure as the network’s leader, Tyson grew the organization’s member base from 9.1 million members when he took over as CEO to 12.3 million members today. Annual revenue also increased from $53 billion in 2013 to more than $82.8 billion, the company’s website states.

Kaiser’s board of directors named Gregory A. Adams, executive vice president and group president, as interim chairman and CEO.

“Bernard was an exceptional colleague, a passionate leader, and an honorable man. We will greatly miss him,” board member Edward Pei, chair of the executive committee and the governance, accountability and nominating committee, said in the prepared statement. “The board has full confidence in Greg Adams’ ability to lead Kaiser Permanente through this unexpected transition.”

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, Tyson earned a Master of Business Administration in health service administration and a bachelor’s degree in health service management from Golden State University in San Francisco. He also had a leadership certificate from Harvard University.

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In addition to working at Kaiser, Tyson served on the boards of directors for the American Heart Association and Salesforce. He was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and served as the deputy chairman of the Americas of the International Federation of Health Plans.

Tyson was also a member of the Business Council and Bay Area Council, an organization dedicated to shaping the future of the San Francisco Bay area through business-led public policy.

The Kaiser leader, who served in several roles at the organization, including hospital administrator, division president, and chief operating officer, was focused on providing, affordable, accessible, quality care to members.

Just last week, Tyson tweeted about how he felt healthcare is “high-tech and high-touch,” as well as the growing importance of addressing social determinants of health and mental health.

“We are at an inflection because part of what’s going on here is that we are writing a new narrative,” he said in 2017 at AHIP’s National Conference on Medicaid. “Is the narrative going to be that in this great country there is a standard by which we all aspire that everyone would enjoy? Yes, there is going to be a distribution. But at what point will we agree that we will collectively kick in if anyone falls below a certain standard/”

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Tyson’s legacy will live on, according to an outpouring of condolences.

“What a dreadful loss American health care has suffered with the passing of Bernard Tyson.  We had no leader more committed, courageous, and long-sighted.  I will deeply miss his example and his friendship,” former CMS Administrator and president emeritus of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Don Berwick tweeted yesterday.

“Bernard Tyson was a revered leader. We are devastated by his sudden passing,” AHIP’s board of directors stated on the association’s website. “His passion for helping people . . . his strong desire to serve . . . his dedication every day to making people healthier and communities stronger . . . his towering eminence as a leader. He epitomized what we should all strive to deliver.”

The National Union of Healthcare Workers (NUHW) also announced that it will postpone a strike scheduled for today due to the death of Tyson. About 4,000 psychologists, mental health therapists and other medical professionals at Kaiser were to launch a five-day strike, which would have shut down mental health services at over 100 Kaiser facilities in California.

“I’ve known Bernard since he was a manager at Kaiser Oakland Medical Center in the early 1980s. While we had our differences, I had tremendous respect for him and his willingness to collaborate with workers to make Kaiser the model provider of medical services in California,” said Sal Rosselli, NUHW president. “We weren’t able to achieve that same level of collaboration when it comes to Kaiser’s mental health services, but I believed that he did want Kaiser to achieve real parity for mental health care, and I know our members remain fully committed to realizing that goal.”

Tyson is survived by his wife, Denise Bradley-Tyson, and three sons; Bernard J. Tyson Jr., Alexander, and Charles.