Jeffrey Sobel, MD
“Dr. Sobel is passionate about improving the care we provide. He does this by empowering physicians and staff to identify areas for improvement and think creatively about solutions.”
— Kenneth Grullon, MD, physician-in-chief, Diablo Service Area
For Jeffrey Sobel, MD, leadership is all about asking the right questions, rather than trying to solve problems from the conference room. “I became a leader by defining solutions, but today I focus on coaching and mentoring others to do the same,” says Dr. Sobel.
An associate physician-in-chief of performance improvement and medical subspecialties, Dr. Sobel works across disciplines to engage physicians and staff in improving care and service. Under his leadership, the Diablo Service Area has increased access to colonoscopies, decreased lengths of stay for total joint replacement surgery, and expedited emergency department visits for patients who need palliative care.
His efforts have led to the establishment of daily improvement huddles in over 130 departments, in which physicians and staff work together to identify and resolve barriers to excellent patient care. Today the departments Dr. Sobel oversees are some of the best-performing medical subspecialties in Kaiser Permanente Northern California.