Alice Chen, MD

Professor of Clinical Medicine

Alice Hm Chen, MD, MPH is chief health officer at Centene Corporation, a leading healthcare enterprise committed to transforming the health of the communities it serves, one person at a time. At Centene, she is responsible for implementing strategies, policies and programs that improve population health for its more than 28 million members. Her career has focused on advancing the health of under-resourced communities through patient care, teaching, policy and leadership across health systems, public health, philanthropy, academia and government.

Prior to joining Centene Dr. Chen worked for the State of California, as chief medical officer at Covered California, the state’s health insurance marketplace, and as deputy secretary for policy and planning at the California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS). At Covered California she was responsible for health care strategy focused on quality, equity and delivery system transformation, and was instrumental in driving public purchaser alignment on quality, disparities and investments in primary care. At CHHS she led many of the Agency’s signature health policy initiatives on affordability and access, and played a leadership role in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the areas of strategic reopening, hospital surge planning, equity, data analytics and therapeutics.

She previously served as chief integration officer for Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and founding director of the eConsult program before becoming inaugural chief medical officer and deputy director for the San Francisco Health Network, the city’s $2 billion-a-year publicly funded integrated delivery system. A professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) for fifteen years, she has published extensively, including in the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Health Affairs. Dr. Chen has served on the board of several nonprofits and foundations, and currently serves on the Harvard University Board of Overseers.

A graduate of Yale University, Stanford University Medical School, and the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Chen's training includes a primary care internal medicine residency and chief residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is an alumna of the Commonwealth Fund Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. Her academic appointments include clinical professor of medicine at UCSF, senior scholar at Stanford’s Clinical Excellence Research Center, and affiliate faculty at UCSF’s Institute for Health Policy Studies.

Education
2014 - Lean Black Belt Certification, Rona Consulting Group
MPH, 2001 - Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health
2000 - Internal Medicine Chief Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital
1999 - Internal Medicine Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital
MD, 1996 - Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine
BS, 1990 - Environmental Biology, Yale University
Honors and Awards
  • 2023 HCC Champion, Health Career Connection, 2023
  • 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives, Modern Healthcare, 2023
  • Telehealth Champion of the Year, California Telehealth Policy Coalition, 2020
  • Invited Member, Women of Impact, 2019
  • Annual Leadership Award, San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium, 2016
  • Health Innovators Fellow, Aspen Institute, 2015
  • Safety Net Award for Using Health Information Technology to Advance Performance Improvement, National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, 2010
  • John F. Murray Award for academic excellence and dedication to the humanitarian mission of SFGH, University of California San Francisco SFGH Department of Medicine, 2008
  • Award for Improvement in System-Wide Care Integration, California Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, 2007
  • Award for Innovation in Health Care Service Delivery, San Francisco Health Plan, 2007
  • Richard J. Haber Excellence in Teaching Award, University of California San Francisco, SFGH Division of General Internal Medicine, 2006
  • Soros Physician Advocacy Fellow, Institute on Medicine as a Profession, 2003
  • Annual Service Award, Emergency Room Interpreter Law Advisory Committee, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 2001
  • Arnold C. Dunne Award for Compassionate Patient Care, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine, 1997
  • Dean’s Award for Excellence in Clinical Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1996
Websites
Publications
  1. Phillips RL,
    Koller C,
    Chen AH. The Path to Coordinated Federal Leadership to Strengthen Primary Health Care Milbank Memorial Fund 2022. PMID:


  2. Chen AH, Ghaly MA. Medicaid as a Driver of Health Equity. JAMA 2022. PMID: 36125484


  3. Agrawal S, Chen AH, Price G, Perla R.. To Advance A National Health And Equity Infrastructure, Measure Drivers of Health Health Affairs Forefront 2022. PMID:


  4. Shete, PB
    Vargo, J
    Chen, AH
    Bibbins-Domingo, K. Equity Metrics: Toward A More Effective And Inclusive Pandemic Response Health Affairs Blog 2021. PMID:


  5. Lee TH, Chen AH. Last-Mile Logistics of Covid Vaccination - The Role of Health Care Organizations. The New England journal of medicine 2021. PMID: 33503340


  6. Chen AH, Chin MH. What if the Role of Healthcare Was to Maximize Health? Journal of general internal medicine 2019. PMID: 31728893


  7. Kanzaria HK, Niedzwiecki M, Cawley CL, Chapman C, Sabbagh SH, Riggs E, Chen AH, Martinez MX, Raven MC. Frequent Emergency Department Users: Focusing Solely On Medical Utilization Misses The Whole Person. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2019. PMID: 31682499


  8. Tuot DS, Liddy C, Vimalananda VG, Pecina J, Murphy EJ, Keely E, Simon SR, North F, Orlander JD, Chen AH. Evaluating diverse electronic consultation programs with a common framework. BMC health services research 2018. PMID: 30355346


  9. Ulloa JG, Russell MD, Chen AH, Tuot DS. A cohort study of a general surgery electronic consultation system: safety implications and impact on surgical yield. Volume 17 of Issue 1. BMC health services research 2017. PMID: 28645288


  10. Makaroun LK, Bowman C, Duan K, Handley N, Wheeler DJ, Pierluissi E, Chen AH. Specialty Care Access in the Safety Net-the Role of Public Hospitals and Health Systems. Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2017. PMID: 28239019


  11. Raven MC, Guzman D, Chen AH, Kornak J, Kushel M. Out-of-Network Emergency Department Use among Managed Medicaid Beneficiaries. Volume 52 of Issue 6. Health services research 2016. PMID: 27861836


  12. Price EL, Sewell JL, Chen AH, Sarkar U. Minding the Gaps: Assessing Communication Outcomes of Electronic Preconsultation Exchange. Volume 42 of Issue 8. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2016. PMID: 27456415


  13. Kruger JF, Chen AH, Rybkin A, Leeds K, Guzman D, Vittinghoff E, Goldman LE. Displaying radiation exposure and cost information at order entry for outpatient diagnostic imaging: a strategy to inform clinician ordering. BMJ quality & safety 2016. PMID: 26740494


  14. Tuot DS, Leeds K, Murphy EJ, Sarkar U, Lyles CR, Mekonnen T, Chen AH. Facilitators and barriers to implementing electronic referral and/or consultation systems: a qualitative study of 16 health organizations. Volume 15. BMC health services research 2015. PMID: 26687507


  15. Scheibe MM, Imboden JB, Schmajuk G, Margaretten M, Graf JD, Chen AH, Yelin EH, Yazdany J. Efficiency Gains for Rheumatology Consultation Using a Novel Electronic Referral System in a Safety-Net Health Setting. Volume 67 of Issue 8. Arthritis care & research 2015. PMID: 25623810


  16. Tuot DS, Murphy EJ, McCulloch CE, Leeds K, Chan E, Chen AH. Leveraging an electronic referral system to build a medical neighborhood. Volume 3 of Issue 4. Healthcare (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 2015. PMID: 26699344


  17. Schwei RJ, Del Pozo S, Agger-Gupta N, Alvarado-Little W, Bagchi A, Chen AH, Diamond L, Gany F, Wong D, Jacobs EA. Changes in research on language barriers in health care since 2003: A cross-sectional review study. International journal of nursing studies 2015. PMID: 25816944


  18. McGeady JB, Blaschko SD, Brajtbord JS, Sewell JL, Chen AH, Breyer BN. Electronic Preconsultation as a Method of Quality Improvement for Urological Referrals Urology Practice 2014. PMID:


  19. Mukhtar NA, Toy BC, Burman BE, Yu A, Chen AH, Berman P, Nguyen T, Chan D, Hammer H, McCulloch CE, Khalili M. Assessment of HBV preventive services in a medically underserved Asian and Pacific Islander population using provider and patient data. Journal of general internal medicine 2014. PMID: 25324148


  20. Tuot DS, Sewell JL, Day L, Leeds K, Chen AH. Increasing access to specialty care: patient discharges from a gastroenterology clinic. Volume 20 of Issue 10. The American journal of managed care 2014. PMID: 25365684


  21. McGeady JB, Blaschko SD, Brajtbord JS, Sewell JL, Chen AH, Breyer BN. Electronic Preconsultation as a Method of Quality Improvement for Urological Referrals. Urology Practice 2014. PMID: 37525449


  22. Hines JZ, Sewell JL, Sehgal NL, Moriates C, Horton CK, Chen AH. "Choosing wisely" in an academic department of medicine. American journal of medical quality : the official journal of the American College of Medical Quality 2014. PMID: 24970279


  23. Kaplan CP, Livaudais-Toman J, Tice JA, Kerlikowske K, Gregorich SE, Pérez-Stable EJ, Pasick RJ, Chen A, Quinn J, Karliner LS. A randomized, controlled trial to increase discussion of breast cancer in primary care. Volume 23 of Issue 7. Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology 2014. PMID: 24762560


  24. Kruger JF, Chen AH, Rybkin A, Leeds K, Frosch DL, Goldman LE. Clinician perspectives on considering radiation exposure to patients when ordering imaging tests: a qualitative study. BMJ quality & safety 2014. PMID: 24764135


  25. Bailey SC, Wolf MS, Lopez A, Russell A, Chen AH, Schillinger D, Moy G, Sarkar U. Expanding the Universal Medication Schedule: a patient-centred approach. Volume 4 of Issue 1. BMJ open 2014. PMID: 24413344


  26. Kruger JF, Chen AH, Rybkin A, Leeds K, Frosch DL, Goldman E. Clinicians' views on displaying cost information to increase clinician cost-consciousness. The American journal of managed care 2014. PMID: 25495110


  27. Burman BE, Mukhtar NA, Toy BC, Nguyen TT, Chen AH, Yu A, Berman P, Hammer H, Chan D, McCulloch CE, Khalili M. Hepatitis B management in vulnerable populations: gaps in disease monitoring and opportunities for improved care. Digestive diseases and sciences 2013. PMID: 24052195


  28. Chen AH, Murphy EJ, Yee HF. eReferral--a new model for integrated care. Volume 368 of Issue 26. The New England journal of medicine 2013. PMID: 23802515


  29. Sewell JL, Day LW, Tuot DS, Alvarez R, Yu A, Chen AH. A brief, low-cost intervention improves the quality of ambulatory gastroenterology consultation notes. Volume 126 of Issue 8. The American journal of medicine 2013. PMID: 23791206


  30. Sewell JL, Guy J, Kwon A, Chen AH, Yee HF. Preconsultation exchange for ambulatory hepatology consultations. Volume 126 of Issue 6. The American journal of medicine 2013. PMID: 23597797


  31. Dowdy D, Bishai D, Chen AH. Setting clinical priorities: a framework for incorporating individual patient preferences. Patient education and counseling 2012. PMID: 23073315


  32. Chen AH, Rittenhouse D. The un-managed system of Medicare referrals. Journal of general internal medicine 2012. PMID: 22374409


  33. Bailey SC, Sarkar U, Chen AH, Schillinger D, Wolf MS. Evaluation of language concordant, patient-centered drug label instructions. Volume 27 of Issue 12. Journal of general internal medicine 2012. PMID: 22451015


  34. Tucker JD, Chen AH, Glass RI. Foreign language assessment and training in U.S. medical education is a must. Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges 2012. PMID: 22373612


  35. Bailey SC, Hasnain-Wynia R, Chen AH, Sarkar U, Schoua-Glusberg A, Lindquist LA, Schillinger D, Wolf MS. Developing multilingual prescription instructions for patients with limited english proficiency. Volume 23 of Issue 1. Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2012. PMID: 22643463


  36. Straus SG, Chen AH, Yee H, Kushel MB, Bell DS. Implementation of an electronic referral system for outpatient specialty care. Volume 2011. AMIA ... Annual Symposium proceedings. AMIA Symposium 2011. PMID: 22195195


  37. Dowdy DW, Horton CK, Lau B, Ferrer R, Chen AH. Patient Follow-up in an Urban Resident Continuity Clinic: An Initiative to Improve Scheduling Practices. Journal of graduate medical education 2011. PMID: 22655154


  38. Kim-Hwang JE, Chen AH, Bell DS, Guzman D, Yee HF, Kushel MB. Evaluating electronic referrals for specialty care at a public hospital. Volume 25 of Issue 10. Journal of general internal medicine 2010. PMID: 20512531


  39. Chen AH, Kushel MB, Grumbach K, Yee HF. Practice profile. A safety-net system gains efficiencies through 'eReferrals' to specialists. Volume 29 of Issue 5. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2010. PMID: 20439891


  40. Chen AH, Yee HF. Improving the primary care-specialty care interface: getting from here to there. Volume 169 of Issue 11. Archives of internal medicine 2009. PMID: 19506170


  41. Kim Y, Chen AH, Keith E, Yee HF, Kushel MB. Not perfect, but better: primary care providers' experiences with electronic referrals in a safety net health system. Volume 24 of Issue 5. Journal of general internal medicine 2009. PMID: 19308334


  42. Chen AH, Youdelman MK, Brooks J. The legal framework for language access in healthcare settings: Title VI and beyond. Journal of general internal medicine 2007. PMID: 17957427


  43. Karliner LS, Jacobs EA, Chen AH, Mutha S. Do professional interpreters improve clinical care for patients with limited English proficiency? A systematic review of the literature. Volume 42 of Issue 2. Health services research 2007. PMID: 17362215


  44. Chen AH, Jacobs E. Providing care to patients who speak limited English Medical Management of Vulnerable and Underserved Patients: Principles, Practice, and Populations. Editors: Talmadge King, Margaret Wheeler, Andy Bindman, Alicia Fernandez, Kevin Grumbach, Dean Schillinger, and Teresa Villela 2007. PMID:


  45. Hardt E, Jacobs EA, Chen A. Insights into the problems that language barriers may pose for the medical interview. Journal of general internal medicine 2006. PMID: 16995888


  46. Grubbs V, Chen AH, Bindman AB, Vittinghoff E, Fernandez A. Effect of awareness of language law on language access in the health care setting. Volume 21 of Issue 7. Journal of general internal medicine 2006. PMID: 16808766


  47. Chen A. Doctoring across the language divide. Health affairs (Project Hope) 2006. PMID: 16684747


  48. Smith WR, Bussey-Jones J, Horowitz CR, Whitehurst-Cook M, Chen, AH. Case studies in multicultural medicine and health disparities Multicultural Medicine and Health Disparities. Editors: David Satcher and Rubens Pamies 2006. PMID:


  49. Jacobs E, Chen AH, Karliner LS, Agger-Gupta N, Mutha S. The need for more research on language barriers in health care: a proposed research agenda. Volume 84 of Issue 1. The Milbank quarterly 2006. PMID: 16529570


  50. Wilson E, Chen AH, Grumbach K, Wang F, Fernandez A. Effects of limited English proficiency and physician language on health care comprehension. Journal of general internal medicine 2005. PMID: 16117746


  51. Jacobs EA, Chen AH, Karliner L, Fortier JP, Mutha S. Legal and regulatory obligations to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate emergency department services Clin Ped Emerg Med 2004. PMID:


  52. Schillinger D, Chen AH. Literacy and language: disentangling measures of access, utilization, and quality. Journal of general internal medicine 2004. PMID: 15009787


  53. Donohoe MT, Kravitz RL, Wheeler DB, Chandra R, Chen A, Humphries N. Reasons for outpatient referrals from generalists to specialists. Journal of general internal medicine 1999. PMID: 10337037


  54. Beckett WS, Pace PE, Sferlazza SJ, Perlman GD, Chen AH, Xu XP. Airway reactivity in welders: a controlled prospective cohort study. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 1996. PMID: 8978514


  55. Raftery KA, Smith-Coggins R, Chen AH. Gender-associated differences in emergency department pain management. Annals of emergency medicine 1995. PMID: 7574121