Efren Rosas

Efren Rosas, MD is a surgeon who has dedicated his medical career to removing barriers for colleagues, patients and his community. Dr. Rosas’ passion for fixing complex problems led to significant performance improvements in hospitals and operating rooms throughout Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Rosas spearheaded the creation of KP San Jose’s Pre-op medicine clinic which resulted in high efficiency use of the operating room. His desire to remove barriers for his colleagues led him to create a communication model between surgeons, hospital nurses and doctors called “Talk With Me”, which has improved inter-departmental agreements and team effectiveness. Dr. Rosas is also a pioneer and innovator in surgical care. He launched the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program in San Jose, which helps patients return home the same day after an operation and recover faster with fewer complications. This program achieved great success and quickly spread across Northern California Kaiser Permanente medical centers.

Dr. Rosas is a native Californian who grew up in Calexico; a small border town in the Imperial Valley. He always dreamed of being a physician. From a very early age, Dr. Rosas would watch his “abuelita” [grandmother] help cure those who were sick in the community, and it left a strong impression on his childhood of the importance of caring for others. Dr. Rosas attended the University of California, Los Angeles for his undergraduate studies and Stanford University for medical school. He attended the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) for his surgical residency in general surgery. In addition to being the Physician in Chief; leading over 500 physicians and over 2000 staff, he also continues his medical practice doing abdominal, liver, pancreas and adrenal surgeries.

Dr. Rosas is a servant leader who believes that by listening to others’ needs and demonstrating care and concern, others will share their ideas and feedback. He believes in cultivating an environment where people feel encouraged and can actively participate. Dr. Rosas has lived in San Jose, CA for over 20 years. His passion for his community is demonstrated by his resolve to help under-represented students have a chance in medicine and a career in healthcare.