Charles E. Binkley, MD, FACS

Principal and Founder, ProNobis Health

ProNobis Health was founded to help restore public trust in physicians, hospitals, and health care facilities, as well as the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. We believe that the art of medicine can be found in its moral and ethical traditions. We believe that medical ethics is more than responding to moral dilemmas. It also demands quality care, attention to patient safety, a just culture for practitioners, protection of vulnerable populations, and the just distribution of resources.

Dr. Binkley is a board-certified surgeon, bioethicist, and hospital quality advisor. Dr. Binkley specializes in hepatobiliary and pancreas cancer surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He completed his undergraduate education at St. Meinrad Seminary before attending Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. At Georgetown, Dr. Binkley’s interest in bioethics was fostered by involvement in the Kennedy Institute of Ethics. Dr. Binkley completed his surgical training at the University of Michigan where he conducted basic science research on the molecular genetics of pancreatic cancer.

As a surgeon, bioethicist, and chief of hospital quality at Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Binkley led multidisciplinary and cross-functional teams aimed at providing the highest quality care to individual patients and to all those served by the medical center. He helped guide policy development at the local and regional level. He also leveraged his relationship-based leadership style to drive performance improvement, manage adverse events, and resolve moral dilemmas.

In addition to his work at Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Binkley served on the Council on Ethical, Legal, and Judicial Affairs of the California Medical Association. He has lectured and written widely on bioethics, end-of-life decision-making, and medical aid in dying.

Dr. Binkley brings together extensive clinical experience, a deep understanding of how to improve health care quality, a background in scientific research, as well as bioethical training and experience. This combination allows him to think broadly, deeply, and concretely. He lives in San Francisco with his husband, David Kemp, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and their German shepherd, Jake.