William Huen, MD

Professor

Dr. William Huen is Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF, and serves as Associate Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of Quality Management and the Kaizen Promotion Office at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Clinically, Dr. Huen practices medicine and teaches housestaff and students on the Inpatient Medical service and Medicine Consultation service at Zuckerberg San Francisco General.

As Associate Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director with teams in Quality Management and the Kaizen Promotion Office, Dr. Huen has been a leader in advancing a culture of performance improvement and health equity. Dr. Huen is Co-Chair of the Performance Improvement and Patient Safety Committee, supports the Executive team to develop and implement the hospital’s annual strategic planning, and partners with clinical and non-clinical leaders and teams for data-driven improvement. As a champion for ZSFG’s health equity strategy, Dr. Huen has led the integration of an equity lens into quality improvement tools and lean management systems at ZSFG. As a founding member of the ZSFG Kaizen Promotion Office, Dr. Huen leads programs to teach, coach, and integrate A3 Thinking problem solving, Daily Management Systems, and Principle-Based Leadership as a shared approach to achieving ZSFG and DPH’s True North goals for San Francisco’s patients and community.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Dr. Huen had the privilege of service as Operational Sponsor and Acting Medical Director to Occupational Health Services and its COVID-19 response for ensuring safety and health for SFDPH employees. He also previously served as the Director of Quality for the Department of Medicine and Division of Hospital Medicine at ZSFG.

Dr. Huen finds joy as a lifelong learner and practitioner of multidisciplinary care and improvement for underserved populations and communities. He is originally from Oakland, California and studied public policy at Princeton University. He completed medical school in the UCB-UCSF Joint Medical Program, and an MPH in Health Policy and Management and MS in Health and Medical Sciences. He completed residency in Internal Medicine at the San Francisco General Hospital Primary Care Program, leadership fellowships with the California Health Care Foundation and National Association of Public Hospitals, and is certified in lean and strategic deployment.

Education:
• University of California, San Francisco, MD
• University of California, Berkeley, MS, Health and Medical Sciences
• University of California, Berkeley, MPH, Health Policy & Management
• Princeton University, AB, Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs

Training:
• California HealthCare Foundation Leadership Fellowship
• NAPH Fellowship
• University of California, San Francisco, Internship, Medicine, SFGH Primary Care
• University of California, San Francisco, Residency, Medicine, SFGH Primary Care

Certification:
• Medical License, California
• American Board of Internal Medicine
Education
M.D., 2005 - Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
M.P.H., 2003 - Health Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley
M.S., 2003 - Health and Medical Sciences, University of California, Berkeley
Residency, - Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Publications
  1. Hidden
    Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open

    Schwartz H, Huen W, Kanzaria HK, Peabody CR. Quality improvement in the era of boarding and burnout: A postpandemic blueprint. Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians open 2024. PMID: 38983973


  2. Hidden
    American journal of industrial medicine

    Jacobson MA, Blanc PD, Tulsky J, Tilly M, Meister R, Huen W, McNicholas JE. Risk of subsequent SARS-CoV-2 infection among vaccinated employees with or without hybrid immunity acquired early in the Omicron-predominant era of the COVID-19 pandemic. American journal of industrial medicine 2024. PMID: 38316635


  3. Hidden
    Journal of occupational and environmental medicine

    Jacobson M, Hart C, Huen W, Suarez Guardado G, Villanueva A, Whitman J, Blanc PD. A Rapid Nucleic-Acid-Amplification-Test-Based, Conditional-Release-to-Work Policy for Health Care Personnel with Symptoms Consistent with COVID-19. Journal of occupational and environmental medicine 2022. PMID: 36240750


  4. Hidden
    Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety

    Chen EH, Losak MJ, Hernandez A, Addo N, Huen W, Mercer MP. Financial Incentives to Enhance Participation of Resident Physicians in Hospital-Based Quality Improvement Projects. Joint Commission journal on quality and patient safety 2021. PMID: 34023276


  5. Hidden
    Journal of general internal medicine

    Wei J, Defries T, Lozada M, Young N, Huen W, Tulsky J. An inpatient treatment and discharge planning protocol for alcohol dependence: efficacy in reducing 30-day readmissions and emergency department visits. Journal of general internal medicine 2014. PMID: 25092008


  6. Hidden
    The New England journal of medicine

    Li JZ, Huen W. Images in clinical medicine. Calciphylaxis with arterial calcification. The New England journal of medicine 2007. PMID: 17898102


  7. Hidden
    Health services research

    Bindman AB, Chattopadhyay A, Osmond DH, Huen W, Bacchetti P. The impact of Medicaid managed care on hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions. Health services research 2005. PMID: 15663700


  8. Hidden
    Preventing Unnecessary Hospitalizations in Medi-Cal: Comparing Fee-for-Service with Managed Care. Oakland, Ca: California HealthCare Foundation. February

    Bindman A, Chattodpadhyay A, Osmond A, Huen W, Bacchetti P. Preventing Unnecessary Hospitalizations in Medi-Cal: Comparing Fee-for-Service with Managed Care. Oakland, Ca: California HealthCare Foundation. February Preventing Unnecessary Hospitalizations in Medi-Cal: Comparing Fee-for-Service with Managed Care. Oakland, Ca: California HealthCare Foundation. February 2004. PMID:


  9. Hidden
    California Physicians 2002: Practice and Perceptions. San Francisco, CA: California Workforce Initiative and the UCSF Center for the Health Professions. December

    Grumbach K, Dower C, Mutha S, Yoon J, Huen W, Keane D, Rittenhouse D, Bindman A. California Physicians 2002: Practice and Perceptions. San Francisco, CA: California Workforce Initiative and the UCSF Center for the Health Professions. December California Physicians 2002: Practice and Perceptions. San Francisco, CA: California Workforce Initiative and the UCSF Center for the Health Professions. December 2002. PMID:


  10. Hidden
    Physician Participation in Medi-Cal, 1996-1998. Oakland, CA: Report by the UCSF Primary Care Research Center to the Medi-Cal Policy Institute. February

    Bindman A, Huen W, Vranizan K, Yoon J, Grumbach, K, Streett L. Physician Participation in Medi-Cal, 1996-1998. Oakland, CA: Report by the UCSF Primary Care Research Center to the Medi-Cal Policy Institute. February Physician Participation in Medi-Cal, 1996-1998. Oakland, CA: Report by the UCSF Primary Care Research Center to the Medi-Cal Policy Institute. February 2002. PMID:


  11. Hidden
    California’s Disproportionate Share Hospital Program: Background Paper. Oakland, CA: Medi-Cal Policy Institute. January

    Huen W. California’s Disproportionate Share Hospital Program: Background Paper. Oakland, CA: Medi-Cal Policy Institute. January California’s Disproportionate Share Hospital Program: Background Paper. Oakland, CA: Medi-Cal Policy Institute. January 1999. PMID: