Kaiser Permanente has appointed Michelle Gaskill-Hames as the permanent regional president for its Southern California and Hawaii operations. She previously served in the role on an interim basis since April 2023. The health system serves more than 5 million members in the region.
Gaskill-Hames joined Kaiser Permanente in 2016 and has held various leadership positions within the system. Before her tenure at Kaiser, she worked in hospital leadership roles, including a position at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago. She assumed the interim presidency after Julie Miller-Phipps announced her retirement.
Janet Liang, executive vice president for care delivery at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, praised Gaskill-Hames for her operational expertise. Liang stated that Gaskill-Hames keeps members' needs central to her work and ensures high-quality service across all touchpoints.
In Seattle, Vittorio Gallo has been named senior vice president and chief scientific officer at Seattle Children’s. He will serve as the principal scientific executive for the health system. Gallo spent 21 years at Children’s National Hospital, where he most recently held interim roles as chief academic officer and director of the research institute.
Gallo also served as an associate dean for child health research and a professor at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Jeff Sperring, CEO of Seattle Children’s, noted that Gallo brings a holistic perspective to strategic scientific development.
WellSpan Health in Pennsylvania has appointed Aaron Gillingham as senior vice president and chief people officer. Gillingham brings over 25 years of human resources leadership experience, including his most recent role at UnityPoint Health in Iowa. He also has experience in retail and financial services, including time at Walmart.
