New Southern California and Hawaii regional president named

Kaiser Permanente has announced that Michelle Gaskill-Hames, BSN, MHA, has been named regional president of Kaiser Permanente for Southern California and Hawaii, a role she has held on an interim basis since April 2023. She will lead the organization's focus on providing integrated, high-quality health care and coverage in partnership with the executive medical director for the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Kaiser Permanente currently provides care and coverage for more than 5 million members in Southern California and Hawaii.

Gaskill-Hames previously served as the chief operating officer and chief strategy, growth, and experience officer for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California and Hawaii. She was named interim president following the announced retirement of Julie Miller-Phipps.

“Michelle uses her deep operational knowledge and strategic focus to ensure that our members consistently receive high-quality care and service at every touchpoint,” said Janet Liang, executive vice president, group president and chief operating officer, care delivery, for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Hospitals. “She keeps our members’ needs at the center of all of that she does.”

Gaskill-Hames joined Kaiser Permanente in 2016 and served in a progression of leadership roles in Northern California before moving to Southern California in 2022, including senior vice president and area manager for both Redwood City and Greater Southern Alameda, interim regional chief nurse executive, and senior vice president of hospital and health plan operations.

Prior to joining Kaiser Permanente, Gaskill-Hames served in multiple hospital leadership roles, including president of Advocate Trinity Hospital in the Advocate Health Care network in Chicago.

Gaskill-Hames is an executive board member of the California Hospital Association and the Integrated Healthcare Association. She has also recently been appointed to the Business Cabinet for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.