Kaiser Permanente appoints regional president for Hawaiʻi, Southern California

Kaiser Permanente has named Michelle Gaskill-Hames, BSN, MHA, as regional president of Kaiser Permanente for Southern California and Hawaiʻi, a role she has held on an interim basis since April 2023.

Gaskill-Hames 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 nearly 5.2 million members in Southern California and Hawaiʻi.

Gaskill-Hames previously served as the chief operating officer and chief strategy, growth and
experience officer for Southern California and Hawaiʻi. 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 been recently appointed to the Business Cabinet for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.