Dr. Nicole Barnett began her healthcare leadership career at Kaiser Permanente in the Napa
Solano service area where after gaining broad front line experience across primary care and
specialty departments, she joined the management team, taking responsibility for the surgical specialty departments, general surgery and anesthesia. She also contributed to the establishment of the regional Innovation and Advanced Technology team, influencing the design of technology enabled care settings.
In 2008, she joined the Kaiser Permanente East Bay team as the first Site Director for the Pinole Medical Offices and helped expand services to residents in five additional zip codes within the Richmond catchment area. In partnership with the physician leadership team at Pinole, she implemented a strategy for success rooted in community involvement, exceptional service and membership growth. As a result, the team received the Business of the Year Award from the local chamber of commerce in 2013.
Nicole was promoted to the role of Assistant Medical Group Administrator in 2011 and in
recognition of her achievements was named to the 2012 Diversity MBA Top 100 Executives
Under Age 50. Taking her community outreach efforts internationally, she traveled with the
Global Alliance for Health to Lusaka, Zambia to establish sexual assault response efforts at the pediatric teaching hospital. The effort also helped to establish the first independent DNA analysis laboratory in the country.
She added responsibility for Nursing and Clinical practice to her portfolio in 2018, when she
transitioned to the dual role of AMGA/DONCP for the Kaiser Permanente East Bay Service
Area. This led to a promotion to Northern California Regional Director for Nursing and Clinical Practice in March 2020. In this role as a scope of practice leader, she contributed to workflows and playbooks related to pandemic response including mass vaccination center guidelines, monoclonal antibody infusion protocols, and staffing guidelines for vaccine administration. In an effort to address vaccine hesitancy in BIPOC community, she contributed to development of internal and external communications that were distributed through social media and other media outlets to increase vaccine rates especially among the most vulnerable.
In her role as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nurse Executive for the Kaiser Richmond
Medical Center, she was proud to serve in the longest standing KP service area and contribute to the rich shared history of the Richmond community and Kaiser Permanente. She takes particular pride in leading teams to provide care beyond the walls of the hospital and clinic and directly to individuals through local community partnerships and outreach efforts.
Dr. Barnett has a passion for community outreach and volunteerism. She believes that achieving health equity requires reaching into our communities to understand the barriers to health that individuals and their families encounter, and partnering at the community level to close the gaps that these barriers represent. She is a proud recipient of the Daisy Health Equity Leader award in recognition of her achievements.
In April 2024, Dr. Barnett transitioned to her current role as Chief Operating Officer for the
Planned Parenthood Northern California affiliate. In this role, she oversees the clinical operations of 17 community based health centers from San Francisco to the most northern and rural counties in the state. Her background and dedication to community health and equitable prepared her well for this challenge. Her lifelong commitment to social justice in all forms, is well served in this role with a focus on reproductive justice for all.
Dr. Barnett also enjoys inspiring, teaching and mentoring the next generation of healthcare
professionals. She is an adjunct professor at several bay area schools of nursing and public
health and a sought after guest speaker on the topics of nursing, healthcare leadership, and health equity. Of all of her professional accomplishments and opportunities, she is most proud of the students that she has had the privilege to impact and encourage over the years.
Dr. Barnett earned her Doctor of Health Sciences degree from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Nursing from California State University Dominguez Hills. She completed her nursing education at Contra Costa College and is a proud alumna of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio. Additionally, she holds certifications as a Public Health Nurse, and Nurse Executive – Advanced Board Certification. In addition, she serves on the boards the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts and the Richmond Promise college success program.
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