Neal H. Cohen, MD, MPH, MS
Neal Cohen is a consultant with Education Executives, LLC and a Emeritus Professor of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine.
Previous Experience
Neal H. Cohen, MD, MPH, MS has extensive leadership experience in academic medicine, clinical services as well as the community health care sector. Within academic medicine he has had diverse administrative responsibilities that include leadership roles in the School of Medicine, health systems, faculty practice plans and medical group management.
Dr. Cohen has served as Vice Dean of the UCSF School of Medicine for the past 20 years. Throughout his tenure, his responsibilities have been diverse and, on the basis of his knowledge and leadership roles, his roles continued to evolve. He has been responsible for oversight of academic affairs and most recently has provided leadership within the School of Medicine for issues related to regulatory affairs, compliance and strategic affiliations. During his tenure in the dean’s office, Dr. Cohen provided oversight for searches for department chairs, directors of organized research units, and other leadership roles. He has also served as mentor and advisor to departmental leaders and other faculty members, providing guidance and support to ensure their success and career development.
Within UCSF Health, Dr. Cohen served as Medical Director for Critical Care Medicine at UCSF Medical Center for 18 years and continued to provide clinical care and teaching in multidisciplinary intensive care units throughout the medical center thereafter. Based on his extensive experience, he is an acknowledged leader and mentor for physicians pursuing careers in critical care medicine. His expertise has been acknowledged by professional societies and colleagues who have provided him with multiple national awards for excellence in administration, visionary leadership and clinical care expertise. Dr. Cohen has served as President of the UCSF Medical Staff and has chaired a number of critical committees providing oversight of the Risk Management and Clinical Compliance Programs. He has also served as Chief Executive Officer for the UCSF Medical Group and President of the UCSF Stanford Healthcare Professional Liability Captive Insurance Company.
Dr. Cohen has also had numerous leadership roles in national organizations. He has extensive experience in accreditation and certification for health care professionals, having served in leadership roles in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, the American Board of Anesthesiology Critical Care Examination Committee and the National Board of Respiratory Care. He served as President for the American Society of Critical Care Anesthesiologists (now the Society of Critical Care Anesthesiology), and currently serves as Section Chair for Professional Practice and is a member the Practice Expense Subcommittee and advisor to the AMA Relative Value Update Committee.
In addition to his extensive background in academic medicine, Dr. Cohen has also had leadership roles and facilitated strong affiliate relationships with community health systems. He served as a member and chair of the El Camino Hospital board. During his tenure as Board Chair, Dr. Cohen managed the successful search for a new Chief Executive Officer, negotiated with practice groups to improve 24/7 critical care physician coverage and worked closely with the leadership team to expand behavioral and women’s health services. Under his leadership, the board also approved the acquisition of a new site to allow growth and improve access to care for the community.
Education
Dr. Cohen received his Bachelor or Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin and his medical training at UCSF School of Medicine. He subsequently received a MPH in Epidemiology from the University of California, Berkeley and MS in Management from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Sloan Program.
