Craig Kent

Craig Kent, MD, has built a 30-year career focused on health system leadership, prioritizing greater patient access, consistent delivery of high-quality care, and treating patients with complex conditions. His work spans academic medicine, clinical leadership, research, and executive management, all grounded in a commitment to advancing healthcare organizations while supporting the development of future medical professionals.

Dr. Craig Kent has held several senior roles in top-tier academic institutions. He began his leadership journey as Division Chief in Vascular Surgery at Columbia and Cornell, where he also directed the Vascular Service line for New York-Presbyterian Hospital. He later served as Chair of the Department of Surgery at The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. His leadership responsibilities expanded at Ohio State University, where he held the roles of Dean of the College of Medicine, Vice President for Health Sciences, and Co-Leader of the Health System. Most recently, he served as Executive Vice President of Health Affairs and CEO of the University of Virginia Health System.

Throughout his career, Dr. Kent has been recognized for his contributions to the field. He was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine and has served in multiple national leadership roles, including President of the Society for Vascular Surgery, President of the Society of Surgical Chairs, and Chair of the American Board of Surgery. These roles reflect the influence he has had not only within individual institutions but also across the broader healthcare landscape.

The National Institutes of Health has continuously funded Dr. Kent’s research for over 30 years. He has chaired the NIH’s Surgery and Bioengineering study section and contributed to other panels. His research interests cover vascular disease mechanisms and health outcomes. With 360 peer-reviewed publications and 65 books and book chapters to his name, his research has made significant contributions to both clinical practice and healthcare policy. His work has been published in prestigious journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association.

In addition to his research output, Dr. Kent has made significant contributions to academic publishing through his editorial leadership. He has served as editor or associate editor for the Annals of Vascular Surgery, Contemporary Surgery, and Haimovici’s Vascular Surgery. He has also served on the editorial boards of several major peer-reviewed medical journals.

Craig Kent has been invited as a Visiting Professor or Keynote Speaker at over 120 academic medical centers worldwide. As CEO of UVA Health, he guided the system through a period of major growth. During his tenure, annual revenue increased from $2.5 billion to $4.7 billion, and both patient access and care delivery nearly doubled. At the same time, quality metrics reached their highest levels in ten years. Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 and widespread staffing shortages, staff satisfaction among the 18,000 employees improved by more than 15 percent.

Under his leadership, UVA Health experienced significant expansion. The system acquired three hospitals and a physician group in Northern Virginia, became a minority owner in a five-hospital system in Eastern Virginia, and purchased a large multi-specialty practice. Research funding at the UVA School of Medicine increased by $60 million, and Dr. Kent led the creation of the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, set to open in 2026.

He also played a central role in strengthening philanthropic support. Craig Kent helped raise over $650 million toward a $1 billion capital campaign, tripling overall giving to UVA Health. At Ohio State, he oversaw a faculty of 2100 and a physician group of over 1200.