Richard S. Isaacs, MD, FACS
Former Permanente executive
Richard S. Isaacs, MD, FACS, previously served as CEO and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) and president and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (MAPMG), 2 of the largest and most distinguished medical groups in the nation. Together, TPMG and MAPMG have more than 11,000 Permanente physicians and over 42,000 nurses and staff delivering high-quality health care to more than 5.3 million Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Dr. Isaacs, who was named to Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare the past 2 years and one of the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives the past 3 years, is also the former co-CEO of The Permanente Federation. The Federation is a consortium of all the Permanente Medical Groups in the nation, and it supports the work of more than 23,000 Permanente physicians and 80,000 staff who serve more than 12.6 million Kaiser Permanente members. In this role, Dr. Isaacs provided strategic leadership and direction to all the Permanente Medical Groups, and to the national Kaiser Permanente Program. Kaiser Permanente is comprised of the Permanente Medical Groups, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals.
In previous leadership position, Dr. Isaacs served as physician-in-chief for the Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center, where he was responsible for all clinical operations throughout the inpatient and outpatient arenas. While physician-in-chief, Dr. Isaacs played a critical leadership role in helping his medical staff pioneer several innovative initiatives that were ultimately adopted by Kaiser Permanente nationwide.
In 2005, Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento was the alpha site for the successful implementation of Kaiser Permanente’s electronic health record, Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect®, a technological accomplishment that inspired other pioneering applications using smartphone connectivity to further enhance the quality of care and patient experiences.
Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento also was the first Level II trauma center in Kaiser Permanente, earning that designation in 2008. More recently, Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento’s collaborative Greater Sacramento Sports Medicine program has expanded to provide expert care to regional and professional athletes.
Born and raised in Detroit, Dr. Isaacs received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit. He completed his otolaryngology–head and neck surgery training in New York at the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital/New York Hospital-Cornell Medical College/Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Subsequently, he received his head and neck oncologic and skull-base surgical training from UC Davis.
He joined The Permanente Medical Group following the completion of his surgical training in 1995. He is board certified in otolaryngology with advanced certification in head and neck oncologic surgery, is a fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.