About Craig Kent
Craig Kent, MD, has built his 30-year career around health system leadership, applying his experience to expand patient access, improve care quality, and deliver advanced treatments to patients with the most complex conditions. His professional life spans leadership roles in top-tier academic institutions, a sustained research career, and a deep commitment to medical education and organizational development.
Institutional Leadership Across Academic Centers
Dr. Craig Kent has held leadership positions at several of the country’s leading academic medical institutions. At Columbia and Cornell, he served as Division Chief in Vascular Surgery, while also managing the Vascular Service line for NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. These roles involved not only clinical oversight but also administrative coordination across a multi-campus system, helping unify care delivery and surgical programs.
He later became Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. His career continued at Ohio State University, where he served as Dean of the College of Medicine, Vice President of Health Sciences, and co-lead of the Health System. Most recently, he held the position of Executive Vice President of Health Affairs and CEO of the University of Virginia Health, overseeing a comprehensive health system during a period of strategic growth and transformation.
Nationally, Dr. Kent has 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 recognized the breadth and impact of his work in research and healthcare leadership.
A Record of Funded Research and Scholarly Contribution
Dr. Kent has received continuous research funding from the National Institutes of Health for over three decades. He has served as chair for NIH study sections, including Surgery and Bioengineering. His research has focused on the biological mechanisms underlying vascular diseases as well as the evaluation of healthcare quality and clinical outcomes.
He has authored 360 peer-reviewed articles and contributed to 65 books and book chapters, addressing diverse subjects such as surgical training, vascular science, health leadership, and healthcare delivery systems. His work has been featured in high-impact publications including the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association.
His academic influence extends to editorial responsibilities. Craig Kent has worked as an editor or associate editor for journals such as Annals of Vascular Surgery, Contemporary Surgery, and Haimovici’s Vascular Surgery. He has also served on editorial boards for several peer-reviewed journals, playing an active role in supporting academic publishing and clinical scholarship.
Speaking Engagements and Professional Visibility
Dr. Kent is a frequent speaker at national and international academic conferences and events. Throughout his career, he has served as a Visiting Professor or keynote speaker at over 120 academic medical centers. His speaking engagements have allowed him to share insights into surgical leadership, medical education, and system-wide healthcare transformation.
Recent Leadership at the University of Virginia Health
In his role as CEO of the University of Virginia Health, Craig Kent, MD, led an integrated academic health system comprising six hospitals, a school of medicine, a school of nursing, and two physician groups. Under his leadership, the health system expanded significantly. Annual revenue increased from $2.5 billion to $4.7 billion. Clinical access and service delivery nearly doubled. The organization’s quality performance reached its highest level in ten years.
Despite national challenges related to the pandemic and workforce shortages, UVA Health improved staff satisfaction by more than 15 percent. Over 500 new physicians and faculty members joined the organization. The leadership team was strengthened with several key appointments.
Craig Kent prioritized geographic expansion. UVA Health acquired three hospitals and a physician group in Northern Virginia, became a minority owner of a five-hospital system in Eastern Virginia, and purchased a large multi-specialty group practice. Throughout these changes, UVA Health maintained financial stability. Research at the School of Medicine also expanded, with funding increasing by $60 million. Dr. Kent led the development of the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, which is expected to open in 2026, aiming to boost the university’s translational research infrastructure.
He also advanced philanthropic efforts. Under his leadership, UVA Health tripled its charitable contributions and successfully raised over $650 million, helping to achieve its goal of a billion-dollar capital campaign.
At Ohio State, Dr. Kent led the College of Medicine, which comprised 2,100 faculty members, and the physician group, which included over 1,200 doctors. He reported directly to the university president and was responsible for overseeing major portions of the health system. His tenure was marked by substantial growth in NIH funding, the recruitment of over 400 new faculty members, and the introduction of a revised compensation plan. The organization also raised $200 million annually in philanthropic gifts and expanded its clinical and research facilities.
During his leadership at the University of Wisconsin, he doubled the size and surgical volume of the Department of Surgery. The department’s NIH ranking rose from 26th to 5th in the nation. At Columbia and Cornell, following the merger of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospitals, he unified the vascular surgery divisions and directed one of the largest and most well-supported academic vascular programs in the country.
Recognition and Professional Advancement
Craig Kent, MD, has held professorships at several distinguished universities. He rose to the rank of Associate Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and served as Professor of Surgery at Cornell, Columbia, the University of Wisconsin, Ohio State University, and the University of Virginia.
Dr. Kent’s recognitions include induction into Alpha Omega Alpha at UCSF School of Medicine, the Fred and Ester Nusz Annual Achievement Award for outstanding chief resident, the Harold Bengloff Award at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital for teaching, and the E. J. Wylie Traveling Fellowship from the Society of Vascular Surgery for academic excellence. He has also received Top Doctor and Best Doctor honors for his clinical work.
Education and Medical Training
Craig Kent earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, San Francisco. His postdoctoral training includes a surgical internship and residency at UCSF, a research fellowship in vascular surgery 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 completed the Leadership Development for Physicians in Academic Centers program at the Harvard School of Public Health.
He has been licensed to practice medicine in Massachusetts, New York, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Virginia.
Professional Memberships
Dr. Kent is a member of several professional 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.
