Two AAPL Members Again Recognized as Major Health Care Influencers

Gary Kaplan, MD, FACP, FACMPE, FACPE, and Georges Benjamin, MD, are back on Modern Healthcare’s annual top 100 list.

Two members of the American Association for Physician Leadership were listed among the 100 most influential people in health care in 2018 by Modern Healthcare magazine.

Gary Kaplan, MD, FACP, FACMPE, FACPE, the chairman and chief executive officer of Virginia Mason Health System in Seattle, Washington, is No. 67 in the annual rankings, voted upon by peers and the magazine’s senior editors. This is his 10th time on the list.

Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American Public Health Association in Washington, D.C., ranks No. 79 in the list. He’s been recognized on this list 12 times.

Benjamin

Kaplan, a practicing internal medicine physician, was cited for spreading best practices across the Virginia Mason system and supporting the expansion of the system's Patient Family Partners program, which pairs patients undergoing a surgery with others who have had a similar procedure.

Benjamin, 65, has led APHA since 2002. According to Modern Healthcare, he focused attention on social determinants of health and helped draw a tighter connection between evidence-based policy and public health.

The magazine’s 17th annual list, released this week, honors the most influential individuals in the health care industry in terms of leadership and impact. This year’s list was topped by industry disrupters: President Donald Trump and a dozen executives from companies attempting to remake the nation’s health system.

Here is the top 20:

1. Donald Trump, president of the United States.

2 (tie). Mark Bertolini, chair and CEO of Aetna.

2 (tie). Jeff Bezos, chair and CEO of Amazon.

2 (tie). Bruce Broussard, president and CEO of Humana.

2 (tie). Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.

2 (tie). David Feinberg, president and CEO of Geisinger Health.

2 (tie). Marc Harrison, president and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare.

2 (tie). Rod Hochman, president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health.

2 (tie). Stephen Klasko, president and CEO of Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health;

2 (tie). Larry Merlo, president and CEO of CVS Health.

2 (tie). Larry Renfro, vice chair of UnitedHealth Group and founder and managing partner of Optum Ventures.

2 (tie). Anthony Tersigni, president and CEO of Acension.

2 (tie). Bernard Tyson, chair and CEO of Kaiser Permanente.

14. R. Milton Johnson, chair and CEO of HCA Healthcare.

15. Alex Azar, secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

16 (tie). Jim Skogsbergh, co-president and co-CEO of Advocate Aurora Health.

16 (tie). Nick Turkal, co-president and co-CEO of Advocate Aurora Health.

18. Seema Verma, administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

19. Scott Gottlieb, commissioner, Food and Drug Administration.

20. Lloyd Dean, president and CEO of Dignity Health.

Click here for the magazine’s complete list.