Jack Cochran, MD, Executive Director of The Permanente Federation at Kaiser Permanente, Elected to Additional Six-Year Term

OAKLAND, Calif., April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Jack Cochran, MD, executive director of The Permanente Federation at Kaiser Permanente, has been elected to a second term by the executive medical directors of the eight Permanente Medical Groups. The Permanente Federation fosters learning and collaboration among the more than 17,000 physicians of those eight medical groups across the nation who provide care to Kaiser Permanente's 9 million members.

"It is a pleasure to congratulate Jack on his second term as executive director of The Permanente Federation," said Geoffrey Sewell, MD, FACP, chairman of the Federation executive committee, and president and executive medical director of the Hawaii Permanente Medical Group. "Jack's deep knowledge of health care, coupled with his compassion and invaluable experience, have made working with him a privilege. I look forward to our ongoing partnership in support of Kaiser Permanente's mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services that improve the health and lives of our members and communities."

"I am delighted and honored to continue working with the leadership at The Permanente Federation and the Permanente Medical Groups," Dr. Cochran said. "It is extremely gratifying that we have made tremendous progress in our work to advance clinical quality and create a true learning organization. Our excellent results deserve celebration, but it must also be the basis for ongoing learning and acceleration of our performance. Excellent is not good enough."

Dr. Cochran added, "I am also proud to have contributed to the strengthened partnership between The Permanente Federation and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and Health Plans that has led to many great improvements in patient care. The relationship with Kaiser Permanente's chairman and CEO, George Halvorson, has been productive and I look forward to working with his successor, Bernard J. Tyson, on the major health care challenges ahead."

"Jack and I both believe high-quality health care can be affordable and Kaiser Permanente can lead the way," said Bernard J. Tyson, president and recently named next chairman and CEO. "I look forward to working with Jack and ensuring that Kaiser Permanente helps to build a better future of health care."

Prior to his appointment to The Permanente Federation in 2007, Dr. Cochran served as executive medical director of the Colorado Permanente Medical Group.

A frequent speaker and author on a broad range of health care topics, including leading clinical excellence, physician leadership, health information systems, and integrated care delivery, Dr. Cochran's insights gained from decades of work on the front lines of health care provide a unique perspective. He has participated in implementing many of the priorities called for in health reform, including Kaiser Permanente's electronic health record, the largest successful private clinical information systems deployment in the world. He frequently collaborates with and addresses prominent health plan boards, federal health care agencies and academic institutions. In 2012, Dr. Cochran was named one of the "50 Most Influential Physician Executives in Healthcare" in the eighth annual survey published by Modern Healthcare/Modern Physician.

Dr. Cochran, a San Francisco resident, began his medical career as a reconstructive plastic surgeon in clinical and private practice in Denver. He went on to serve at Exempla Saint Joseph Hospital as chief of Plastic Surgery, chair of Surgical Services, and president of medical staff, and at Exempla Healthcare as a board member and chairman of its Quality Committee. He is a member of the board of the National Quality Forum, the Alliance of Community Health Plans, the American Medical Group Foundation, and the University of California at San Francisco Global Health Group Advisory Board. For more than 30 years, he has volunteered his reconstructive surgery and consulting services in developing nations.

Dr. Cochran earned his medical degree from the University of Colorado and served residencies at Stanford University Medical Center and the University of Wisconsin Hospital. He is board certified in otolaryngology (head and neck surgery) and in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

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, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 9 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal 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: kp.org/newscenter.

For more information:
Farra Levin, 510-267-7364, [email protected]

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente