Kaiser Permanente CEO dies unexpectedly

Health care provider Kaiser Permanente said Sunday its chairman and CEO, Bernard J. Tyson, has died unexpectedly at the age of 60.

Tyson was the first African American to head Kaiser Permanente as CEO when he took that position in 2013 after filling a number of roles over three decades at the company.

No other details were provided in the company’s announcement, which said that Tyson died in his sleep early Sunday.

Tyson is survived by his wife, Denise Bradley-Tyson, and three sons, Bernard J. Tyson Jr., Alexander and Charles.

The board of directors has named Executive Vice President Gregory Adams as interim chairman and CEO.

Tyson, who worked at Kaiser Permanente for more than 30 years in roles including hospital administrator and chief operating officer, had been on Time magazine’s list of the world’s most influential people and one of the “Health Care 50.”

Executive Committee Chairman Edward Pei called Tyson “an exceptional colleague, a passionate leader and an honorable man.”

“We will greatly miss him,” Pei said in the company’s news release.

He added that the board “has full confidence in Greg Adams’ ability to lead Kaiser Permanente through this unexpected transition.”

Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente grew under Tyson’s leadership from 9.1 million members and 174,000 employees to 12.3 million members and 218,000 employees, according to the company. Its network of 17,000 physicians grew to 23,000, and annual revenue increased from $53 billion to more than $82.8 billion.