Executive Biographies | California

Benjamin K. Chu, MD, MPH, MACP

Group president, Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Hawaii
President, Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region

Benjamin Chu, MD, MPH, MACP, was appointed regional president of Kaiser Permanente Southern California in February 2005 and in January 2011, was appointed group president responsible for both Southern California and Hawaii. He directs hospital and health plan operations for 14 hospitals and 145 medical offices, serving more than 3.45 million members. As group president, he joins the Kaiser Permanente Programwide Operational Leadership group with oversight responsibility over the entire organization.

Before he joined Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Chu served for three years as president of New York City’s Health and Hospitals Corp., the largest public hospital system in the country. A primary care internist by training, Dr. Chu possesses extensive health care experience as a clinician, administrator and policy advocate. He was senior vice president for Medical and Professional affairs for the public hospitals and served as acting commissioner of health for the New York City Department of Health from 1990 to 1994.

Dr. Chu has experience as an academic health center leader. He was senior associate dean at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons from July 2000 to February 2002. He also served at the New York University School of Medicine and Medical Center as associate dean and vice president for Clinical Affairs from April 1994 to May 2000. As a 1989-1990 Robert Wood Johnson Policy Fellow, he served as a legislative assistant for health for New Jersey Sen. Bill Bradley.

Dr. Chu currently serves on the board of the Commonwealth Fund in New York and is chairman of the board of the American Legacy Foundation based in Washington, D.C. In 2008, he completed a three-year term as an at-large board member of the American Hospital Association, serving on the executive committee during the final year. He is currently an AHA appointee to the Joint Commission Board.

Dr. Chu earned his medical degree at New York University, his master’s of public health from Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Yale University.