Schuster and Choucair earn spots on ‘most influential’ list

Mark A. Schuster, MD, PhD, founding dean and CEO of the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, and Bechara Choucair, MD, senior vice president and chief community health officer for Kaiser Permanente, have been recognized by Modern Healthcare as 2 of this year’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives. The recognition acknowledges clinicians working in the health care industry who are selected by their peers and an expert panel for demonstrating exceptional leadership and impact.

Dr. Schuster ranks number 3 on the list and is recognized for helping to “reshape the debate over medical education,” Modern Healthcare wrote. “Schuster announced in February that the school would waive tuition for its first 5 graduating classes. … Schuster is also at the forefront of bringing new ideas to medical education, including a focus on social determinants of health and costs along with the clinical concepts.”

Dr. Schuster was also included on Modern Healthcare’s 2018 list of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.

Dr. Choucair ranks number 26 on the list of 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives. This is the second year he has been included.

Dr. Choucair was honored for his leadership in launching Thrive Local, a new social health network designed to address pressing social needs — including housing, food, and safety — for millions of people in the communities Kaiser Permanente serves. “It’s one of several examples of how Choucair has helped position the Oakland, Calif.-based integrated care delivery network to address social determinants of health,” wrote Modern Healthcare, which also cited Dr. Choucair’s role in Kaiser Permanente’s efforts to prevent gun-related injuries and deaths.

View Modern Healthcare’s complete list of the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives.