Melanie Parker, MD
“Dr. Parker’s integrity and determination, wedded with her tremendous empathy for others, make her truly shine as a leader.”
— Sanjay Marwaha, MD, physician-in-chief, Central Valley
Melanie Parker, MD, has been a role model for physicians and patients alike since joining The Permanente Medical Group in 1993. A beacon of compassion and open-mindedness, she has led organizational and cultural change by seeking common ground.
Appointed chief of Urology early in her career, Dr. Parker increased access to care by introducing telephone visits long before they were widely adopted. Not only did she artfully convince her colleagues this was the right thing to do, but she did it with grace. Later while serving as medical-legal chief, she co-developed a program that provides emotional support services to doctors involved in cases with adverse outcomes.
Today as the TPMG medical director of risk and patient safety, Dr. Parker works with teams across disciplines to develop solutions for protecting patients from harm, while fostering a culture of speaking up about safety.
“It’s through mutual respect and diversity of thought that we pave the best way forward,” she says.