Career Leadership Award

Dr. Christopher Chow and Kenneth and Pamela Fong received Career Leadeship Awards at CHCP’s Tenth Anniversary Dragon Ball.

For the past 30 years, Dr. Christopher Chow has served as the Chief of Staff of Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Santa Clara, the highest position held by a Chinese American at this HMO. As an Internist, he served as the leader of this medical facility which has grown more than four times since he took over, and handled many thousands of patients annually. Dr. Chow recently retired from that position, but was so valuable to the organization as a well respected administrator that he is now consulting in the head office in Oakland to work on transitions of the Kaiser Medical Group.

Dr. Chow, a native of San Francisco, attended George Washington High School, U.C. Berkeley, and U.C. San Francisco. He has served in many capacities with the Permanente Medical Group: physician elect to Board of Directors, chief of Gastroneurology, chief of Internal Medicine, assistant physician in-chief, physician in-chief, and most recently transitional Area Medical Director. Many of his acquaintances did not know he held such prestigious positions since he is a very modest fellow. Honors conferred on Dr. Chow include: Physician of the Year in Santa Clara, and the Benjamin J. Cory MD Award of Santa Clara Medical Association.

Dr. Chow has encouraged many Chinese American medical students to enroll in the Kaiser system and oversaw the internship programs that Kaiser Santa Clara had as a teaching hospital. He has served as a role model for those seeking a profession in the health care industry.

Dr. Chow’s wife Rowena, has been active in promoting education and Chinese heritage among the young people of their hometown of Los Altos. As a volunteer, she taught Chinese American elementary students about their heritage in a summer program sponsored by the Stanford Area Chinese Club. She has also privately tutored many Chinese American students at all grade levels. Rowena is respected and in much demand as a tutor.

The Chows always stressed the importance of education and have four children who are in professional careers of their own. Added to their family are many grandchildren, and like typical Chinese grandparents, the Chows enjoy baby-sitting and family get-togethers.