The Permanente Federation co-CEO and leader of several Permanente Medical Groups at Kaiser Permanente was recognized for delivering excellence in patient care, advancing value-based care, enhancing operational efficiency and clinician wellness, and expanding the clinician pipeline

OAKLAND, Calif., June 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Maria Ansari, MD, FACC, co-CEO of The Permanente Federation at Kaiser Permanente, has been named to Modern Healthcare’s list of 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives for 2026. Dr. Ansari was honored for her continued strategic guidance of Permanente Medical Groups, which includes delivering outstanding patient care, championing value-based care, improving operational efficiency and clinician wellness, and increasing the clinician pipeline.

Andrew Bindman, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals, was also named to the list.

Modern Healthcare recognizes physicians and clinicians in senior executive roles for improving patient care and outcomes, driving operational success, leading innovation and demonstrating outstanding leadership both within their organization and their communities.

“This honor recognizes the commitment our physicians and care teams bring to fulfilling the promise of Permanente Medicine — care that is patient-centered, compassionate, evidence-based, and integrated,” Dr. Ansari said. “Physician leadership is fundamental to maintaining clinical autonomy, which is essential for building patient trust, empowering us to act in the best interests of our patients, and delivering high-quality care.”

With Federation co-CEO Ramin Davidoff, MD, Dr. Ansari leads Permanente Medical Groups, where more than 25,000 physicians deliver value-based care to 12.6 million Kaiser Permanente members in the United States.

Dr. Ansari is also CEO and executive director of The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG), president and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, and CEO of Northwest Permanente, three of the largest and most accomplished medical groups in the country. Together, Permanente Medical Groups and Kaiser Foundation Health Plans and Hospitals comprise Kaiser Permanente.

Dr. Ansari’s successes include:

• Guiding the highest-quality care. Kaiser Permanente Northern California achieved 5-star National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) ratings for both Medicare and commercial plans — one of only two U.S. health plans to do so in 2025.
• Advancing Permanente Medicine’s commitment to high-value, quality-driven care through a strategic affiliation with Northwest Permanente in 2025.
• Guiding the rollout of RESET — a physician-led redesign of primary care aimed at reducing burnout and improving quality — to more than 3,100 physicians and medical assistants at Kaiser Permanente Northern California. This innovative care model “Rewards Efficiency” with greater autonomy and flexibility, “Sets priorities” using a transparent scorecard, and “Empowers Teams” by streamlining workflows. The Permanente Journal published research showing RESET contributed to lower burnout, greater professional fulfillment, improved patient care, and greater retention and recruitment of adult and family physicians.
• Improving community health by strengthening the clinician pipeline to address one of healthcare’s most urgent issues — clinician shortages — and by expanding sustainable access to care.
  • As a board member of the Kaiser Permanente Bernard Tyson School of Medicine, Dr. Ansari champions training programs, tuition assistance, and community partnerships to support the next generation of health care professionals.
  • Additionally, Dr. Ansari helped grow the mental health workforce through the Kaiser Permanente Health Scholars Academy, the KP School of Allied Health Sciences, and the KP Northern California Psychiatry Residency Program. Since 2020, KP has invested more than $2 billion and increased our mental health workforce in California by 25%.
• Enhancing physician wellness. The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) received the 2025 AMA Joy in Medicine Gold Award for reducing physician burnout and improving well-being.

In addition to these accomplishments, Dr. Ansari also leads the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research (DOR), a top research center with a large team of investigators and clinician-researchers. The DOR publishes nearly 1,000 research articles annually.

The complete list of honorees and their profiles are available at 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives 2026 – Modern Healthcare and in the June 8 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine. A digital subscription is required to view the online profiles.

To learn more about Permanente Medicine, visit permanente.org.

About the Permanente Medical Groups
Permanente Medical Groups provide award-winning care to Kaiser Permanente’s 12.6 million members. More than 25,000 primary care physicians and specialists are dedicated to the mission of providing high quality, affordable care to all our patients and communities. Our ethical, compassionate approach to value-based care is physician-led, patient-centered, and evidence-based. We work collaboratively, supported by state-of-the art facilities and technology, to provide world-class primary, complex, and chronic care in eight states — from Hawaii to Maryland — and the District of Columbia. Find out more at permanente.org.

About The Permanente Federation
The Permanente Federation is the national leadership and consulting organization of Permanente Medical Groups, which provide high-quality, affordable health care to the members of Kaiser Permanente. The Federation works to spread the ethical and compassionate value-based care we call Permanente Medicine. Our model of care is physician-led, patient-centered, and team-delivered. We foster and accelerate medical research, clinical innovation, and performance improvements. With Kaiser Foundation Health Plans and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, we’re expanding the reach of Kaiser Permanente’s unique approach to integrated care delivery, transforming health care in America. Find out more at permanente.org. 

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SOURCE The Permanente Federation