OAKLAND — Bernard J. Tyson, the chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, died in his sleep early Sunday, the company confirmed.
Tyson, who was appointed CEO of the medical group and health care provider in 2013, “unexpectedly passed away early today in his sleep,” the company said in a statement Sunday afternoon. The cause of Tyson’s death was not disclosed. He was 60.
Tyson worked for the Oakland-based national health care organization for more than 34 years, serving in roles ranging from hospital administrator to division president, before becoming CEO in 2013. He was appointed chairman of the board in 2014, according to his company biography.
“Bernard was an exceptional colleague, a passionate leader, and an honorable man. We will greatly miss him,” said Edward Pei, who sits on the company’s board, in a statement Sunday.
Effective immediately, the company named Gregory A. Adams, Executive Vice President and Group President, as interim Chairman and CEO.
Tyson’s death comes just a day before nearly 4,000 of the company’s mental health workers in California, represented by the National Union of Healthcare Workers, were expected to begin a five-day strike to protest wait times between appointments for mental health patients and staffing gaps.
Late Sunday afternoon, the union announced it would postpone the strike in light of Tyson’s death, and did not announce a new strike date.
“We offer our condolences to Bernard’s family, friends and colleagues,” NUHW President Sal Rosselli said in a statement. “Our members dedicate their lives to helping people through tragedy and trauma, and they understood that a strike would not be appropriate during this period of mourning and reflection.”
Under Tyson’s leadership, Kaiser Permanente grew from 9.1 million members and 174,000 employees in 2013 to 12.3 million members and 218,000 employees nationwide. The company’s annual revenue rose from $53 billion to $82.8 billion during that time, according to a news release.
In 2017, Tyson was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People for his work in public health. The recognition, written by U.S. Rep. John Lewis, lauded Tyson for focusing on “an often overlooked aspect of medicine to the forefront: mental and emotional health.”
Rosselli said he knew Tyson when he was a manager at the Kaiser Oakland Medical Center in the 1980s.
“While we had our differences, I had tremendous respect for him and his willingness to collaborate with workers to make Kaiser the model provider of medical services in California,” Rosselli said in the statement. “We weren’t able to achieve that same level of collaboration when it comes to Kaiser’s mental health services, but I believed that he did want Kaiser to achieve real parity for mental health care, and I know our members remain fully committed to realizing that goal.”
A number of health care leaders and public officials commented on Tyson’s death Sunday.
“He truly ‘walked the talk’ in his concern for making health care not just a right, but something that is affordable and centered on the great diversity of patients,” said Covered California Executive Director Peter V. Lee in a statement Sunday. “His efforts will have a lasting imprint on California and the nation.”
A Bay Area native, Tyson earned a Master’s degree in health service administration and bachelor’s degree in health service management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Tyson was also a member of the Bay Area Council, a business-oriented public policy organization.
Tyson is survived by his wife, Denise Bradley-Tyson, and three sons; Bernard J. Tyson Jr., Alexander and Charles.
“I am heartbroken upon learning of the passing of Bernard Tyson. Bernard dedicated his life to making health care more accessible for our communities.,” Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) tweeted Sunday.