After Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson died unexpectedly Sunday, the $80 billion integrated health system named an interim leader with plans to address succession at a later date, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Gregory Adams is serving as interim chairman and CEO of the Oakland, Calif.-based system. Mr. Adams was most recently executive vice president and group president of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals, a role in which he oversaw all eight of the system's regions and reported directly to Mr. Tyson. He has been with the system since 1999.
Mr. Adams told WSJ that Kaiser Permanente will remain committed to the growth strategy that the late Mr. Tyson spearheaded in his time as CEO and chairman, from 2013 and 2014 respectively. Overall, Mr. Tyson devoted 34 years of his career to Kaiser Permanente and devised a strategy built upon accessible healthcare, diversity and reducing health inequities.
This week Kaiser Permanente plans to celebrate Mr. Tyson's legacy, and Mr. Adams noted that the system's 13-member board of directors would discuss succession planning after the unexpected transition later this month, according to WSJ.
Mr. Tyson died in his sleep Nov. 10. He was 60. The cause of death has not been disclosed.