For Margaret “Peggy” Desler, MD, leadership is grounded in humility and a deep respect for the expertise of The Permanente Medical Group physicians and staff. She leads inclusively, valuing every voice and perspective, and maintains an open-door policy that welcomes all members of the care team. A pediatrician at KP Richmond for nearly 3 decades, she has mentored countless physicians and staff members, and as Chief of Continuing Medical Education (CME) at KP East Bay for nearly 20 years, Dr. Desler has fostered a culture of respect, group excellence, and collaboration with well-attended, highly interactive, and inspiring medical center–wide grand rounds.
“The goal of CME is to educate our providers so that they can in turn treat our patients with a fount of up-to-date knowledge and skills,” Dr. Desler says. “Ultimately, patients are getting better care because their providers have more knowledge.”
For KP East Bay, she has served in numerous leadership roles including the nomination committees for physicians-in-chief and elected directors, the latter as chair. Dr. Desler’s legendary dedication to nurturing camaraderie and teamwork among providers is demonstrated by her involvement the Women in Leadership initiative, which hosts educational and much-appreciated offsite conferences (which are now being expanded to include men); and the organization of in-person CME events and classes post-COVID.