Murray Ross, PhD, is vice president of Kaiser Permanente’s Institute for Health Policy.
Q: In a few words, what does Total Health mean to you?
A: Total health to me highlights the interdependency of our internal health systems. Not just physical health, but life satisfaction, emotional wellbeing, purpose, and resilience.
Q: What is your first health-related memory?
A: Riding my first bike at full speed into the back of a parked car.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Spaghetti Bolognese with grilled vegetables.
Q: What do you value most in your work? What inspires you to continue?
A: I like being surrounded by smart, creative, engaged people trying to make the world a better place.
Q: If you could change one thing in health care, what would it be?
A: Doing what matters to people, not what matters to providers.
Q: Where would you most like to live?
A: Maui uplands.
Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement so far?
A: Running my first marathon at age 50.
Q: If you could have dinner with any three people, living or dead, who would you pick?
A: Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Joan Baez.