Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine (KPSOM) announces the appointment of Maria Ansari, MD, FACC, to the school’s Board of Directors.
Dr. Ansari serves as the chief executive officer and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) and president and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group (MAPMG). TPMG and MAPMG are two of the most prominent medical groups in the country, and together they consist of more than 11,000 Permanente physicians and over 45,000 nurses and staff delivering healthcare to 5.4 million Kaiser Permanente members in Northern California, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. In addition, Dr. Ansari is co-CEO of The Permanente Federation, the national leadership and consulting organization for the Permanente Medical Groups that support the work of approximately 24,000 physicians and 80,000 employees. In this role, Dr. Ansari provides strategic leadership and direction to the Permanente Medical Groups alongside her co-CEO, Ramin Davidoff, MD, who is also a KPSOM board member.
Dr. Ansari has designed and implemented several advances in the primary care and specialty care medical practice during her career by empowering physicians and staff to create and sustain a culture of innovation, teamwork, and trust. She also actively supports pipeline development efforts for students who are underrepresented in medicine and has been integral in the launch and support of graduate medical education fellowship programs in the areas of cardiology, gastroenterology, HIV treatment, oncology, nephrology, gynecology-oncology, and cardiothoracic and vascular surgery. Dr. Ansari was instrumental in developing a Kaiser Permanente Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship program at the University of California, San Francisco, and plays an integral role in mentorship and development for early-, mid-, and late-career physicians.
“We are elated to welcome Dr. Maria Ansari to our medical school’s Board and are fortunate she will share her extensive healthcare and graduate medical education expertise with us,” said Mark Schuster, MD, PhD, KPSOM Founding Dean and CEO. “An accomplished cardiologist and leader, Dr. Ansari has helped champion residency and fellowship programs at medical institutions across California and has already been instrumental in helping create clinical opportunities for our students.”
“Throughout my career, I have served as an advocate for the exceptional care of patients, and bearing this in mind, I am excited to step into this new role at an institution that not only educates and shapes future physicians but also actively promotes health equity for underresourced communities,” said Dr. Ansari. “I am honored to help build on the many achievements of KPSOM and look forward to using my skills, experience and vision to help prepare and propel our students to unparalleled medical education opportunities that will, in turn, affect the health and well-being of our greater society.”
Currently, Dr. Ansari is an active San Francisco General Hospital Foundation board member and serves on the board of the nonprofit San Francisco cooking school to address food insecurity, 18 Reasons. She is an American College of Cardiology fellow, an American Society of Echocardiography member, was named to the San Francisco Business Times’ Power 100 in 2024 and was honored as Woman of the Year by the Women Health Care Executives of Northern California in 2023.
“Dr. Ansari is an ideal addition to the KPSOM Board of Directors. Her commitment to medical education is considerable and spans the full continuum from medical school to residency and fellowship to continuing education for practicing physicians,” said Holly Humphrey, MD, KPSOM Board Chair. “Her clinical background combined with experience leading complex healthcare organizations will add depth and breadth to our board that is invaluable. The work that she has done to broaden pathways for careers in medicine aligns with the school’s objectives. I am honored to welcome Dr. Ansari to our board and am excited to work alongside her as we look forward to the graduation of our first class of students and continue our work to position our student body for success.”
