Charles Chen, M.D., is a Senior Medical Director at Optum, leading an Optum Health multi-specialty group formerly known as Beaver Medical Group. Located in Southern California’s Inland Empire, this group encompasses over 200 skilled physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Dr. Chen’s role is pivotal in managing clinician staffing, enhancing performance and satisfaction, upholding quality standards, and steering utilization management and risk adjustment. His expertise extends to promoting ongoing education for clinicians. Under his guidance, Beaver Medical Group has consistently attained the prestigious American Physician Group’s Standards of Excellence Elite status.
Prior to his current position, Dr. Chen dedicated nearly two decades to primary care as a Beaver Medical Group Board-certified Internal Medicine physician at the Inland Empire in Yucaipa, California. His tenure was marked by active involvement in numerous hospital and clinic committees, including co-developing Beaver’s risk adjustment program. His leadership roles have been varied and impactful, including serving as the Department Chair of Medicine at Redlands Community Hospital and Beaver Medical Group. Notably, he chaired the EMR Executive Committee at Beaver, playing a crucial role in implementing the Epic Systems EMR in 2019. Dr. Chen has also been a prominent member of the Board of Directors for Beaver Medical Clinic Inc. for over ten years and served on the Board of Directors for EPIC Management Inc., an MSO that is now part of Optum.
At Optum, Dr. Chen is a vital member of several national committees, such as the National Epic Physician Advisory Council, Optum Health Epic National Clinical Steering Committee, and the Optum Health Clinical Leadership Congress. His commitment to fostering leadership in healthcare is evident in his recent completion of Optum’s Sequoia Fellowship program and his current role as a mentor in Optum’s physician leadership training courses.
Dr. Chen’s academic background is equally impressive. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of California at Irvine and his medical degree from the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. His commitment to his roots brought him back to the Inland Empire for his internship and residency training in Internal Medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Maintaining his board certification in Internal Medicine, Dr. Chen exemplifies a lifelong dedication to healthcare excellence and leadership.
