Craig Kent Male • United States of America

Craig Kent, MD, has built a three-decade career centered on health system leadership. His consistent focus has been on increasing patient access, raising the standard of care, and ensuring that those with the most complex health needs receive timely, effective treatment. Throughout his career, he has taken on roles that support institutional improvement, forward-looking research, and the training of future healthcare professionals.

Dr. Craig Kent’s leadership has shaped several of the nation’s most prominent medical institutions. He first served as Division Chief in Vascular Surgery at Columbia and Cornell, where he also led the Vascular Service line for New York-Presbyterian Hospital. These early leadership roles involved bringing consistency to multi-site care delivery and building bridges between academic and clinical operations.

He later became Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. From there, he moved to Ohio State University, where he served as Dean of the College of Medicine, Vice President of Health Sciences, and Co-Health System leader. Most recently, he was appointed Executive Vice President of Health Affairs and CEO of the University of Virginia Health, where he guided the organization through a period of meaningful growth.

His professional service has also extended to national roles, including President of the Society for Vascular Surgery, President of the Society of Surgical Chairs, and Chair of the American Board of Surgery. In recognition of his contributions, he was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Craig Kent has maintained uninterrupted research support from the National Institutes of Health for more than 30 years. His work has included investigations into vascular biology, disease mechanisms, and healthcare delivery outcomes. He has also served as chair of several NIH study sections, including Surgery and Bioengineering.

He has published 360 peer-reviewed articles and 65 books or book chapters, addressing subjects such as vascular surgery, surgical education, healthcare leadership, and institutional performance. His work has appeared in respected publications including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In addition to publishing, Dr. Kent has been active in academic editorial work. He has held positions as editor or associate editor for journals such as Annals of Vascular Surgery, Contemporary Surgery, and Haimovici’s Vascular Surgery. He has served on the editorial boards of multiple peer-reviewed medical publications, contributing to the establishment of scholarly standards and peer review practices.

Craig Kent has been invited to share his expertise at over 120 academic medical centers worldwide. He has served as a Visiting Professor and keynote speaker on topics ranging from surgical innovation to leadership in academic medicine. His international engagements underscore the widespread relevance of his experience.

During his tenure as CEO of the University of Virginia Health (UVA Health), Craig Kent, MD, oversaw an integrated academic health system comprising six hospitals, a school of medicine, a school of nursing, and two physician groups. In just over five years, the organization experienced substantial growth. Annual revenue increased from $2.5 billion to $4.7 billion. Clinical care volume and patient access nearly doubled, and quality outcomes reached the highest levels seen in a decade.

Even in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and national labor shortages, employee satisfaction improved by more than 15% across a workforce of over 18,000. UVA Health recruited over 500 new physicians and faculty and hired key leadership across multiple departments.