The American Heart Association is celebrating its 100th anniversary of working to improve outcomes for people with cardiovascular disease. Committed to ensuring that all people have equal access to health care, AHA maintains the Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund.
The Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund is named for influential healthcare executive Bernard J. Tyson. A member of AHA’s national board and CEO Roundtable, as well as a trusted advisor to the organization, Tyson worked tirelessly over the course of his career to reduce health care disparities in the United States.
Born in Vallejo, California, on January 20, 1959, Bernard J. Tyson graduated from Vallejo High School. He attended Golden Gate University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in health service management and an MBA in health services administration.
Tyson completed his MBA in 1984, the same year he accepted an internship at California healthcare organization Kaiser Permanente. The internship became a full-time administrative position, and in subsequent years, Tyson rose through the organization’s ranks, taking on hospital administrator and executive positions.
In 2010, Tyson earned a promotion to president and chief operating officer. He became the company’s CEO in 2013 and a year after that took on additional responsibilities as chairman. He is the first African American to hold either of these positions at the company.
Under his direction, Kaiser Permanente grew its membership by 33 percent and increased its revenue to $82 billion. During his tenure, the company undertook research to better understand the disproportionate effect that issues like gun violence and housing shortages have on people’s health and well-being. As a Black man, he also used his position of power to speak out about racism.
His advocacy earned him the 2014 National Equal Justice Award from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. His other accolades include the NAACP Freedom Act Award, Alumnus of the Year from Golden Gate University, and inclusion on lists of the Most Influential Healthcare Leaders.
Tyson died on November 10, 2019 at the age of 60. Through the Bernard J. Tyson Impact Fund, his legacy of service lives on.