Atlas Research has named Dr. Kenneth Kizer chief health care transformation officer and senior executive vice president.
An internationally respected health care leader, Kizer is known for his expertise and accomplishments in health system transformation, patient safety and quality improvement, population health management, and veterans health issues, the company said.
Kizer’s career resume includes organizing the transformation of the Veterans Healthcare System in the 1990s while serving as the Department of Veterans Affairs undersecretary for health. His work is widely studied as a model for health care transformation.
“Ken inspires change,” said Robin Portman, president and CEO of Atlas Research. “He is a true master in the field, and we are excited to see how he sets the tone, spurs enthusiasm, guides and influences our next chapter in health care innovation.”
She added, “He will drive Atlas to provide our federal clients with pioneering health care solutions and innovations.”
Earlier in his career, Kizer orchestrated California’s response to the then new HIV/AIDS epidemic, established the internationally renowned California Tobacco Control Program, pioneered Medicaid managed care, and architected California’s statewide Emergency Medical Services system.
Most recently, Kizer was the founding director of the Institute for Population Health Improvement in the University of California Davis Health System, and served as the inaugural chief medical officer for the California Department of Managed Health Care.
Kizer is a member of the National Academy of Public Administration and the National Academy of Medicine and is a U.S. Navy veteran.