Dr. Sharon M. Higgins was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska. She served as the President of Tucker Maxon Board of Directors, as well as Northwest Permanente PC, and Medical Director of Kaiser Permanente Northwest from April 2007 to December 2010. Prior to this she served as Chief of Otolaryngology from 1987 to 1999, Vice president and Operations Medical Director for Specialty Care from 1999 to 25 and as Assistant Medical Director for Business Affairs from 2005 to 2007.

Dr. Higgins joined Northwest Permanente PC as an Otolaryngologist and Head and Neck surgeon in 1979 and retired from practice in 2012. In addition to serving on the board of Tucker-Maxon, she has also served on the board of the Foundation for Medical Excellence which promotes high quality health care and sound health care policy through sponsoring physician education. Sharon received her undergraduate degree from Creighton University and her medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical School in 1975. She completed both her General Surgery Internship and her Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Residency at the Oklahoma Health Sciences Center receiving her Board Certification form the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in 1979. She served with Project Hope in Chengdu, China in 1992