Ruth Brinkley Named President of Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaiser Permanente announced today that Ruth Brinkley is the new president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals of the Northwest, which includes Oregon and markets in Vancouver and Longview/Kelso, Washington.

Brinkley comes to Kaiser Permanente from KentuckyOne Health, Kentucky's largest integrated health system, where she has served as CEO since 2012. KentuckyOne is a division of Catholic Health Initiatives, one of the nation's largest nonprofit health systems.

"Ruth's deep experience in integrated and nonprofit health care systems makes her a great fit for this important leadership role," said Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson. "Her commitment to improving access to high-quality care is very reflective of Kaiser Permanente's mission. Ruth understands the ever-growing demands of consumers. I look forward to her contributions in the Northwest and to our entire organization."

KentuckyOne was created in 2012 by the merger of Jewish Hospital & Saints Mary and Elizabeth HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System. In 2013, the University of Louisville Hospital and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center joined KentuckyOne. Brinkley is credited with successfully overseeing post-merger systems integration and optimization, along with expanding signature programs in heart and cancer care for the benefit of citizens across Kentucky.

Brinkley, who began her health care career as a nurse, has also served as president and CEO of Carondelet Health Network in Tucson, Arizona, and as president and CEO of Memorial Health Care System in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Brinkley will report directly to Gregory Adams, executive vice president and group president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals.

"Ruth's expertise in leading local and regional health systems, her patient focus and her drive for continually improving operations will help us deliver on our promise of providing high-quality, affordable health care," said Adams.

"I am excited and honored for this opportunity to serve the communities of the Northwest Region" Brinkley said. "Kaiser Permanente has a remarkable legacy of excellence and innovation in health care. I am looking forward to building upon that legacy to bring total health to new members and additional communities in this great region."

Kaiser Permanente's Northwest Region provides health care and coverage to more than 570,000 medical and 260,000 dental members at 34 medical offices, 20 dental offices and two hospitals. Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services gave Kaiser Permanente Northwest's Medicare plan the highest possible rating of 5 out of 5 stars for the seventh year in a row.

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 11.8 million members in eight 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, for more information, go to: kp.org/share.

For more information:
Marc Brown
[email protected]
510-271-6328

SOURCE Kaiser Permanente