Diane Comer to Retire as Kaiser Permanente's Chief Information Technology Officer

IT organization will move to report to Yazdi Bagli, executive vice president, Enterprise Business Services

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente has announced that Diane Comer, chief information and technology officer, will retire in early January 2024.

Comer has served as CITO since 2020 and her leadership has been critical as Kaiser Permanente met the extraordinary technology requirements of the pandemic for members, physicians, employees, and customers. During this challenging time, technology accelerated Kaiser Permanente's shift to a digital-first organization with an incredible ramp-up of virtual care, increase in self-service capabilities, and transition of thousands of employees to remote work. 

"From the moment Diane took the helm as CITO, she has led with expertise, tenacity, and commitment to our technology end users and our IT professionals," said Greg A. Adams, chief executive officer and chair for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals. "Her strategy to simplify, modernize, and secure our technology resulted in a more resilient organization powered by innovative technology, from cloud-based to artificial intelligence to digital solutions." 

During Comer's tenure, Kaiser Permanente's IT organization has consistently been named by Computerworld magazine as one of the Best Places to Work in IT. Her reputation for driving large-scale technology transformations has been recognized by being named among Becker's Hospital Review's Top CIOs to Know from 2021 to 2023. 

Comer joined Kaiser Permanente in 2007 to deliver technology solutions supporting all marketing, sales, service, and administration functions. She led the implementation of the telephony infrastructure that now supports millions of calls a month to Kaiser Permanente's multiple contact centers. She has partnered on the implementation of the technology needed to support the Affordable Care Act and health insurance exchanges, and the delivery of our enterprisewide claims platform. 

With Comer's retirement, Kaiser Permanente announced that the IT organization will move to report to Yazdi Bagli, executive vice president, Enterprise Business Services. The Enterprise Business Services function is comprised of key shared services and operations that support the Kaiser Permanente enterprise. The objective of the move is to leverage technology, systems, process, and people capabilities across the groups to increase the quality, speed, and productivity of the services provided across Kaiser Permanente. 

A search for Kaiser Permanente's next chief information and technology officer, reporting to Bagli, will be initiated in late 2023. 

About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America's leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.7 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.

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SOURCE Kaiser Permanente