Israel Rocha returns to Washington, D.C., with 20 years of experience leading integrated public health systems.
Kaiser Permanente announced that Israel Rocha has been named regional president of the health system’s Mid-Atlantic States region. Rocha will officially begin his role with Kaiser Permanente on December 4. In this role, he will be responsible for Kaiser Permanente’s performance and overall success in the region. Rocha will lead the organization’s focus on providing integrated, high-quality health care and coverage in partnership with the executive medical director for the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group.
Kaiser Permanente currently provides care and coverage for more than 835,000 members in the Mid-Atlantic States region, which includes Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
Rocha joins Kaiser Permanente from Cook County Health in Illinois — the third largest public health care system in the nation — where he has served as CEO since 2020. Cook County Health’s complex system includes 2 hospitals, a Level 1 acute care trauma center, an extensive ambulatory network, a public health department, a correctional health division, and a Medicaid plan with more than 400,000 members. Prior to Cook County Health, Rocha held executive leadership roles at the Elmhurst and Queens hospitals of NYC Health + Hospitals, and Doctors Hospital at Renaissance Health System in Texas. He began his career working in Washington, D.C., for Texas Congressman Rubin Hinojosa (D-15).
“Israel is an accomplished leader with more than 20 years of experience leading integrated public health systems in 2 of the nation’s largest cities,” said Kim Horn, executive vice president and group president for Kaiser Permanente markets outside California. “He brings a unique and extensive combination of experiences across health care, insurance, government, public health, and public policy to his new role in the Mid-Atlantic States region. We are confident that Israel’s innovative and community-centered focus will benefit our members and the communities we serve in the region.”
Rocha currently serves on the board of directors for America’s Essential Hospitals and is a member of the board of directors for the Illinois Hospital Association. He has also held positions on regional policy boards for the American Hospital Association in both New York and Illinois. Rocha holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and environmental science from Columbia University in New York City.
Rocha has had a deep commitment to social justice and health equity throughout his career. In 2021, he launched the Office of Equity and Inclusion at Cook County Health.