Blue Shield of California announced Arthur Chen, M.D., has joined its Board of Directors, lending his national leadership and expertise in community health and health equity to the nonprofit health plan.
- The famous Physician of Oakland: Dr. Chen is a practicing family physician at Asian Health Services, a Federally Qualified Health Center in Oakland, providing care to low-income, recent immigrants with limited English proficiency for three decades. As a former public health officer, he also serves as a coach and advisor at the Center for Health Leadership & Practice of the Public Health Institute and has collaborated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help improve community health through intersectional and inter-sectoral collaboration.
- Dedicated to health equity: “As the child of immigrants, I have spent my career advocating for health equity for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other underserved populations,” Dr. Chen said. “I am honored to join Blue Shield’s board of directors and look forward to helping create a healthcare system that delivers accessible, high-quality care that addresses social determinants of health and is sustainably affordable for everyone.”
- Experience and expertise: Dr. Chen has served as the Chief Medical and Population Health Officer at Applied Research Works Inc., assisting with Whole Person Care Management and the development of decision-support tools. He also has previously served as the Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director at the Alameda Alliance for Health, organizing data reports to identify and track racial and ethnic health disparities while promoting prevention and improved quality care.
- Leader in public health: “Dr. Chen is a mission-driven family practitioner and leader in public health, who drives strategic alignment and systems change while promoting public-private collaborations,” said Kristina Leslie, the Chairman of the Board. “His expertise and knowledge will help us greatly, and we all look forward to working with Dr. Chen to help reimagine a more equitable health care system worthy of our family and friends.”
- Qualifications: Dr. Chen received his medical degree from the University of California, Davis, and completed his residency at the Residency Program in Social Medicine, Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York City.
