- Kaiser Permanente chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson has passed away unexpectedly at the age of 60
Bernard J. Tyson, the chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, has passed away unexpectedly at the age of 60. Tyson was the first African America to work as the head of Kaiser Permanente. He obtained the CEO role in 2013 after working across a wide range of roles at the healthcare organization for over three decades such as hospital administrator and chief operating officer.
Tyson died in his sleep early Sunday. And he is survived by his wife, Denise Bradley-Tyson, and three sons, Bernard J. Tyson Jr., Alexander, and Charles.
The Kaiser Permanente board of directors named Executive Vice President Greg Adams as interim chairman and CEO.
“We will greatly miss him,” said Kaiser Permanente Executive Committee Chair Edward Pei in a news release.
While under the leadership of Tyson, Kaiser Permanente grew from 9.1 million members and 174,000 employees to 12.3 million members and 218,000 employees. And the organization’s network grew from 17,000 physicians to 23,000. Plus the annual revenue increased from $53 billion to more than $82.8 billion.
Tyson also served on the boards of the American Heart Association and Salesforce. Plus he was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and deputy chairman of the Americas of the International Federation of Health Plans. And he was also a member of the Bay Area Council, which is a public policy organization focused on driving a strong economy for local residents.
“A light in this world has gone out… I will always remember him with love in my heart,” wrote Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff in a tweet.
Tyson is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to starting his career, Tyson had received a bachelor’s degree in health service management and an MBA in health service administration from Golden Gate University.
Featured photo credit: Kaiser Permanente
