Biography Of Craig Kent
Craig Kent, MD, has committed his 30-year career to advancing leadership in academic medicine. Throughout his journey, he has focused on expanding access to healthcare, improving quality across clinical systems, and delivering care to patients with complex medical needs His contributions span organizational leadership, research, and faculty development, shaping
institutions to better serve patients and train the next generation of health professionals.
Leadership Roles Across Prestigious Institutions
Dr. Craig Kent’s leadership journey began in academic surgery, serving as Division Chief in Vascular Surgery at Columbia and Cornell He also led the Vascular Service line for New York-Presbyterian Hospital, providing oversight and coordination across two of the nation’s most respected campuses. In these roles, he brought a consistent approach to surgical care and contributed to the development of one of the largest academic vascular surgery programs in the country.
Following this, he became Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He then assumed expanded leadership responsibilities at Ohio State University, where he served as Dean of the College of Medicine, Vice President for Health Sciences, and Co-Leader of the Health System. Most recently, Dr. Kent served as Executive Vice President of Health Affairs and CEO of the University of Virginia Health. Across each of these roles, he has led initiatives to improve performance, faculty engagement, and institutional growth.
In national organizations, Dr. Kent served as President of the Society for Vascular Surgery, President of the Society of Surgical Chairs, and Chair of the American Board of Surgery. His election to the National Academy of Medicine acknowledges his lasting contributions to academic leadership, research, and the broader health community
Advancing Research and Scientific Leadership
For over 30 years, Dr Kent has held continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health. His research has covered a wide range of topics, from the molecular mechanisms of vascular disease to system-level healthcare quality and patient outcomes. He has chaired key NIH study sections, including Surgery and Bioengineering, and played an active role in supporting emerging scientific directions.
Dr. Kent has published 360 peer-reviewed journal articles and contributed to 65 books and book chapters. His written work spans leadership in medicine, surgical education, vascular science, and institutional performance His studies have been published in highly respected journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In addition to his research, Dr. Kent has contributed to academic publishing as editor or associate editor for Annals of Vascular Surgery, Contemporary Surgery, and Haimovici’s Vascular Surgery He has served on editorial boards for various medical journals and has helped ensure the integrity and impact of published clinical research.
Academic Speaker and Educator
Craig Kent is a frequent speaker at academic and professional events. Throughout his career, he has delivered keynote addresses and served as Visiting Professor at more than 120 academic medical centers around the world These presentations have covered topics such as healthcare leadership, surgical best practices, and institutional transformation, reflecting his experience across clinical, academic, and administrative disciplines
CEO of the University of Virginia Health
As CEO of the University of Virginia Health, Craig Kent, MD, led a comprehensive academic health system that included six hospitals, a school of medicine, a school of nursing, and two physician groups. During his tenure of over five years, UVA Health experienced significant expansion and improvement. Annual revenue grew from $2 5 billion to $4 7 billion Both patient access and the volume of clinical care nearly doubled, while quality metrics reached the highest levels in a decade.
Despite the national strain of COVID-19 and ongoing workforce shortages, staff satisfaction at UVA Health improved by over 15 percent among the system’s more than 18,000 employees. The health system recruited over 500 new physicians and faculty members, strengthening its clinical and academic programs. Many new leaders were also appointed across key departments.
Craig Kent led efforts to expand UVA Health’s presence across the state. The system acquired three hospitals and a physician group in Northern Virginia, entered a minority ownership in a five-hospital system in Eastern Virginia, and acquired a large multi-specialty group practice. These strategic moves were executed while maintaining the organization’s financial health. Research at the School of Medicine increased by $60 million, and the health system advanced major projects, including the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, scheduled to open in 2026.
Under Dr Kent’s leadership, philanthropic efforts tripled UVA Health raised more than $650 million toward a billion-dollar campaign, supporting capital investment, research, and community initiatives.
At Ohio State, Dr. Kent led the College of Medicine, which had 2,100 faculty members, and oversaw the physician faculty group, comprising more than 1,200 physicians He reported directly to the university president and helped steer the health system’s direction. His leadership led to increased NIH funding, the recruitment of over 400 faculty members, the implementation of a new compensation model, and $200 million in annual fundraising. He also supported the expansion of clinical services and academic infrastructure
While at the University of Wisconsin, he helped double the size of the Department of Surgery and surgical case volume During his leadership, the department’s NIH funding ranking rose from 26th to 5th nationally. At Columbia and Cornell, following the merger of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospitals, he coordinated the vascular surgery divisions and built one of the largest and most well-funded academic vascular programs in the United States.
Academic Titles and Honors
Craig Kent has held faculty appointments at major academic centers, including Harvard Medical School (Associate Professor of Surgery), and professorships at Cornell, Columbia, the University of Wisconsin, The Ohio State University, and the University of Virginia
His honors include induction into Alpha Omega Alpha at the UCSF School of Medicine, the Fred and Ester Nusz Annual Achievement Award for excellence as
chief resident, the Harold Bengloff Award for teaching at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, and the E. J. Wylie Traveling Fellowship from the Society of Vascular Surgery for academic achievement In clinical settings, he has been recognized with multiple Top Doctor and Best Doctor awards.
Academic Background and Clinical Training
Dr. Kent holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, San Francisco His postgraduate training includes a surgical internship and residency at UCSF, a vascular surgery research fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston where he received a National Research Service Award and an endovascular fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic He also completed the Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Centers program at the Harvard School of Public Health.
He has held active medical licenses in Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Virginia.
Organizational Memberships
Dr. Kent is a member of several medical organizations, including the American College of Surgeons, American Heart Association, Society for Vascular Surgery, American Surgical Association, Society of Surgical Chairs, International Surgical Group, American Board of Surgery, Blue Ridge Academic Health Group (BRAHG), and the Academy of Master Surgeon Educators.