Nkem Chukwumerije, MD, MPH, FACP

President and Executive Medical Director
The Southeast Permanente Medical Group

Nkem Chukwumerije, MD, serves as the president and executive medical director for The Southeast Permanente Medical Group (TSPMG), one of Georgia’s largest multispecialty medical groups with more than 1,000 clinicians caring for approximately 435,000 members. Care is delivered through 26 Kaiser Permanente medical offices and a network of more than 18 affiliated hospitals across Georgia.

Since assuming leadership of TSPMG in 2021, Dr. Chukwumerije has guided the medical group through a deliberate transformation focused on balancing member needs, people needs, and the long-term strength of the organization. During his tenure, TSPMG and Kaiser Permanente Georgia have made major advances in access, quality, care experience, affordability, and organizational capability.

Dr. Chukwumerije also serves as executive sponsor for Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity for the Permanente Medical Groups and for Clinical Operational Excellence within The Permanente Federation. He is a senior lecturer in Clinical Science at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. His leadership has been recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review, which named him among Chief Medical Officers to Know in 2025, and by Atlanta Magazine, which has included him among Atlanta’s 500 leaders in health care in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. He is an alumnus of Leadership Atlanta’s Class of 2026 and a member of Rotary Club of Atlanta.

A hospital medicine physician, Dr. Chukwumerije earned his medical degree from the University of Nigeria, completed an Internal Medicine residency at Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center, and a Kennamer Fellowship in General Internal Medicine at the UCLA School of Medicine. He also holds a certificate in Global Health and an executive master of Public Health in Healthcare Management and Policy from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. He is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and board-certified in Internal Medicine.

Before coming to Georgia, Dr. Chukwumerije held regional and medical-center leadership roles within Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, including regional physician director for Utilization Management and physician leader for Care Without Delay. Throughout his career, he has paired operational rigor with a servant-leadership approach and a conviction that Permanente Medicine can deliver better care, better outcomes, and enduring value for members and communities.

Beyond his responsibilities within Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Chukwumerije has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to physician leadership, mentorship, and service. He is a former president and chair of the board of directors of the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas and former president of the University of Nigeria College of Medicine Alumni Association, North America. Through his continued involvement with organizations such as Faith Alive Foundation USA and Thrive Ministry and Mission, he remains dedicated to advancing health and well-being in underserved communities and strengthening access to care for vulnerable populations.

Outside work, he enjoys time with his wife and 3 children.