Kaiser Permanente announced Sunday that Bernard J. Tyson, CEO, had died in his sleep of an apparent heart attack. Tyson, born January 20, 1959, assumed the role of CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals — known as Kaiser Permanente— in 2013, and was named chairman of the board of directors in 2014.
Tyson’s career at Kaiser Permanente spanned more than 30 years, and he had successfully managed all major aspects of the organization during that time, serving in roles from hospital administrator and division president to chief operating officer.
Under Tyson’s leadership, Kaiser Permanente led and set the expectation for delivering affordable, accessible, high-quality healthcare and improving the health of its members and the 68 million residents in its communities. When Tyson became CEO in 2013, Kaiser Permanente had 9.1 million members, employed a workforce of 174,000, included 17,000 physicians and generated $53 billion in annual revenue. Today, the organization provides care and coverage to 12.3 million members, has a workforce of 218,000 employees, includes 23,000 physicians and annual revenue of more than $82.8 billion.
Tyson’s influence was felt both nationally and internationally. TIME magazine included 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 healthcare for five consecutive years, he was No. 2 on the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” list and on Fast Company’s list of most creative people. Tyson also served on the boards of directors for the American Heart Association and Salesforce.
He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, served as Deputy Chairman of the Americas of the International Federation of Health Plans, was the former chair of American Health Insurance Plans and a steward of the World Economic Forum’s Global Challenge on the Future of Health and Healthcare. Tyson was also member of the Business Council and Bay Area Council, a business-led public policy organization advocating for a strong economy and better quality of life for San Francisco Bay-area residents.
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 earned a leadership certificate from Harvard University.
Bernard is survived by his wife, Denise Bradley-Tyson, and three sons; Bernard J. Tyson Jr., Alexander and Charles.