Ronald L. Copeland, MD

Ronald L. Copeland is senior vice president of national equity, inclusion and diversity strategy and policy/chief equity, inclusion and diversity officer for Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Copeland is also a member of Kaiser Permanente’s Executive Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Council, a group composed of the chairman/CEO and other C-suite-level leaders who oversee executive accountability for embedding the equity, inclusion and diversity strategy throughout the organization. Additionally, he is chair of the Kaiser Permanente National Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Council, which advises, advocates for and monitors the successful implementation of the equity, inclusion and diversity strategy and policy recommendations.

A recently retired board-certified general surgeon, Dr. Copeland joined Kaiser Permanente in 1988 after a six-year honorable tour of duty in the United States Air Force Medical Corps. Dr. Copeland served as president/executive medical director of the Ohio Permanente Medical Group prior to assuming his current role in 2012. The Rochester, N.Y., native earned his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his medical degree from University of Cincinnati Medical College. He completed his residency in general surgery at State University of New York Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. He also attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Dr. Copeland is a board member of Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, the National Organization on Disability and the Center for Healthcare Innovation; an advisory board member for the Centre for Global Inclusion; a member of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Equity Advisory Group; and a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.