Operational Excellence

July 23 2008

Benjamin Chu, MD, Appointed Board Chairman of American Legacy Foundation

The American Legacy Foundation^® has appointed Kaiser Permanente executive Benjamin Chu, MD, as chairman of the foundation's Board of Directors.

The ALF develops programs that address the health effects of tobacco use. Its "truth" advertising campaign, launched in 2000, is the largest youth smoking prevention campaign in the United States. "Our programs are working to engage all Americans in the dialogue about tobacco and to foster an understanding about its harmful effects," the ALF's Web site states. "And every day, we're demonstrating that the fight against tobacco is a fight we can win."

Dr. Chu, president of Kaiser Permanente's operations in Southern California, is one of three physicians on the American Legacy Foundation's 11-member governing board.

"The foundation has been a ground-breaking champion in the effort to raise public awareness about the vital health and social justice issues surrounding tobacco use in the U.S., and I look forward to leading the foundation in furthering its mission," Dr. Chu said in the foundation's press release about his appointment.

Dr. Chu has served as president of Kaiser Permanente's Southern California region since 2005. Prior to that, he was president of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, the largest public hospital system in the United States.