Alice Chen

Alice Chen, MD, MPH is a Volunteer Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. She currently serves as Chief Health Officer at Centene Corporation, overseeing population health strategies for 28 million members. Her career spans roles as Chief Medical Officer at Covered California, Deputy Secretary for Policy at the California Health and Human Services Agency, and leadership positions at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and the San Francisco Health Network. Dr. Chen’s academic appointments include senior scholar roles at Stanford’s Clinical Excellence Research Center and affiliate faculty at UCSF’s Institute for Health Policy Studies.

Education and Training:

• Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology, Yale University (1990)
• MD in Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine (1996)
• Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management, Harvard School of Public Health (2001)
• Internal Medicine Residency and Chief Residency, Brigham and Women's Hospital (1999–2000)
• Lean Black Belt Certification, Rona Consulting Group (2014)

Research Interests: Dr. Chen focuses on advancing healthcare equity through policy, system transformation, and innovative models like electronic consultations (eConsult). Her work addresses language barriers, limited English proficiency, and improving access to specialty care in underserved communities. She emphasizes leveraging technology and policy to strengthen primary care, reduce disparities, and optimize healthcare delivery systems.

Publications Trends: Her 15 most recent articles (2017–2024) highlight themes in health equity, pandemic response, Medicaid policy, and electronic consultation systems. Key areas include optimizing healthcare logistics during crises, measuring social determinants of health, and redesigning primary-specialty care interfaces.

Awards: Notable recognitions include the 2024 Modern Healthcare 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives, 2020 California Telehealth Champion, and 2008 UCSF John F. Murray Award for academic excellence. She has also been a Soros Physician Advocacy Fellow and Aspen Institute Health Innovators Fellow.

Grants and Teams: Dr. Chen pioneered the eConsult program at San Francisco General Hospital, improving specialty care access. She has led state-level initiatives on health equity, including pandemic response strategies and Medi-Cal integration. Her current work at Centene emphasizes value-based care and universal coverage models.

Labs/Teams: Active in UCSF’s Department of Medicine and affiliated with the San Francisco Health Network, she collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on policy advocacy, telehealth implementation, and safety-net system innovation.