William Huen, MD, MS, MPH

HS Clinical Professor

Dr. William Huen is Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF, and serves at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital as Associate Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of Quality Management and the Kaizen Promotion Office.

Dr. Huen practices medicine and teaches housestaff and students on the Inpatient Medical service and Medicine Consultation service at Zuckerberg San Francisco General.

As Associate Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of Quality Management and the Kaizen Promotion Office, he works with the CMO and hospital leaders to lead the Performance Improvement and Patient Safety Committee and to develop and implement the hospital’s strategic plan. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, he had the privilege of service as Operational Sponsor and Acting Medical Director to Occupational Health Services and its COVID-19 response for ensuring safety and health for employees through COVID-19 screening, testing, case investigation and contact tracing, return to work, and vaccination.

He finds joy as a lifelong learner and practitioner of quality improvement, education and multidisciplinary collaboration for vulnerable populations within the safety net. Supporting teams in Quality Management and the Kaizen Promotion Office, Dr. Huen has worked to translate strategy into daily operations, partner with clinical and non-clinical leaders for data-driven alignment and accountability, and develop effective leaders and teams. Dr. Huen has most recently focused on teaching, coaching and integrating A3 Thinking, the Daily Management System and Principle-Based Leadership as a shared approach to achieving ZSFG’s True North goals for San Francisco’s patients and community.

Dr. Huen is originally from Oakland, California and studied public policy at Princeton University. He completed medical school in the UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program, where he received an MPH in Health Policy and Management and MS in Health and Medical Sciences. Dr. Huen completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the San Francisco General Hospital Primary Care Program at UCSF.

Education:
• University of California, San Francisco, MD, 2005
• University of California, Berkeley, MS, Health and Medical Sciences, 2003
• University of California, Berkeley, MPH, Health Policy & Management, 2003
• Princeton University, AB, Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs, 1999

Training:
• California HealthCare Foundation Leadership Fellowship, 2011-13
• NAPH Fellowship, 2011-12
• University of California, San Francisco, Internship, Medicine, SFGH Primary Care
• University of California, San Francisco, Residency, Medicine, SFGH Primary Care

Certification:
• Medical License, California, 2007
• American Board of Internal Medicine, 2008

Education
M.D., 2005 - Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
M.P.H., 2003 - Health Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley
M.S., 2003 - Health and Medical Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
Residency, - Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Publications
  1. Schwartz H, Huen W, Kanzaria HK, Peabody CR. Quality improvement in the era of boarding and burnout: A postpandemic blueprint. Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open 2024. PMID: 38983973


  2. Jacobson MA, Blanc PD, Tulsky J, Tilly M, Meister R, Huen W, McNicholas JE. Risk of subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection among vaccinated employees with or without hybrid immunity acquired early in the Omicron-predominant era of the COVID-19 pandemic. American journal of industrial medicine 2024. PMID: 38316635


  3. Jacobson M, Hart C, Huen W, Suarez Guardado G, Villanueva A, Whitman J, Blanc PD. A Rapid Nucleic-Acid-Amplification-Test-Based, Conditional-Release-to-Work Policy for Health Care Personnel with Symptoms Consistent with COVID-19. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 2022. PMID: 36240750


  4. Chen EH, Losak MJ, Hernandez A, Addo N, Huen W, Mercer MP. Financial Incentives to Enhance Participation of Resident Physicians in Hospital-Based Quality Improvement Projects. 2021. PMID: 34023276


  5. Wei J, Defries T, Lozada M, Young N, Huen W, Tulsky J. An inpatient treatment and discharge planning protocol for alcohol dependence: efficacy in reducing 30-day readmissions and emergency department visits. Journal of general internal medicine 2014. PMID: 25092008


  6. Li JZ, Huen W. Images in clinical medicine. Calciphylaxis with arterial calcification. The New England journal of medicine 2007. PMID: 17898102


  7. Bindman AB, Chattopadhyay A, Osmond DH, Huen W, Bacchetti P. The impact of Medicaid managed care on hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Health services research 2005. PMID: 15663700


  8. Bindman A, Chattodpadhyay A, Osmond A, Huen W, Bacchetti P. Preventing Unnecessary Hospitalizations in Medi-Cal: Comparing Fee-for-Service with Managed Care. Oakland, Ca: California HealthCare Foundation. February Preventing Unnecessary Hospitalizations in Medi-Cal: Comparing Fee-for-Service with Managed Care. Oakland, Ca: California HealthCare Foundation. February 2004. PMID:


  9. Grumbach K, Dower C, Mutha S, Yoon J, Huen W, Keane D, Rittenhouse D, Bindman A. California Physicians 2002: Practice and Perceptions. San Francisco, CA: California Workforce Initiative and the UCSF Center for the Health Professions. December California Physicians 2002: Practice and Perceptions. San Francisco, CA: California Workforce Initiative and the UCSF Center for the Health Professions. December 2002. PMID:


  10. Bindman A, Huen W, Vranizan K, Yoon J, Grumbach, K, Streett L. Physician Participation in Medi-Cal, 1996-1998. Oakland, CA: Report by the UCSF Primary Care Research Center to the Medi-Cal Policy Institute. February Physician Participation in Medi-Cal, 1996-1998. Oakland, CA: Report by the UCSF Primary Care Research Center to the Medi-Cal Policy Institute. February 2002. PMID:


  11. Huen W. California’s Disproportionate Share Hospital Program: Background Paper. Oakland, CA: Medi-Cal Policy Institute. January California’s Disproportionate Share Hospital Program: Background Paper. Oakland, CA: Medi-Cal Policy Institute. January 1999. PMID: