Dr. Kenneth Kizer, MD, MPH
Individual Letterman Award Winner, 2013
Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer is an internationally recognized health care thought leader, change agent, and quality improvement advocate. A distinguished professor at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine and Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing, and founding director of the Institute for Population Health Improvement, he currently leads a number of initiatives that are improving health and health care in California and the nation.
A former Naval officer and diving medicine expert, Dr. Kizer has been particularly passionate about improving health care for veterans and military personnel. His transformation of the Veterans Healthcare System in the 1990s is widely viewed as the largest and most successful health care turnaround in U.S. history.
In addition to the Letterman Award, Dr. Kizer has achieved the extremely rare distinction of being elected to both the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Public Administration. He has been awarded he Award of Excellence, American Public Health Association; Distinguished Service Medal, American Legion; Earnest A. Codman Award, The Joint Commission; Gustav O. Lienhard Medal and Award, Institute of Medicine; Justin Ford Kimball Innovator Award, American Hospital Association; Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Public Service, American Medical Association; John D. Chase Award for Physician Executive Excellence, Association of Military Surgeons of the United States; Exceptional Service Award, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Rodney T. West Literary Achievement Award, American College of Physician Executives; Special Recognition Award, March of Dimes; Rear Admiral William S. Parsens Award for Scientific and Technical Progress, Navy League of the United States; Torch Award, Coalition to Protect All Californians from Tobacco; Founders’ Award, American College of Medical Quality; and the Award of Honor, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Do you know someone who carries on Letterman’s legacy today.
Nominate them for the Major Jonathan Letterman Medical Excellence Award.