After a nationwide search, we are pleased to announce that Michael Kent, MD, MSQM, has been appointed chief of the Ambulatory Anesthesiology Division, effective July 1. He succeeds Dr. Stephen Klein, who served in this capacity for nearly 20 years and will transition to his new role (announced in December) as the associate vice chair for ambulatory anesthesiology.
Dr. Kent, associate professor of anesthesiology, brings 14 years of experience to his leadership role in which he will be responsible for leading, supporting and growing the division's clinical, research and education programs. The Ambulatory Anesthesiology Division provides patient care in two ambulatory surgical centers and two endoscopy centers across the Duke University Health System. The division boasts a rich legacy of operational, clinical, and academic excellence, including the establishment of the Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship more than two decades ago.
"The opportunities Duke Anesthesiology has afforded me have been extraordinary, and I'm honored to lead our brilliant faculty team forward," says Dr. Kent. " I'm eager to advance the division's mission of revolutionizing outpatient anesthesia care while strengthening our reputation as a global leader in ambulatory anesthesia education, research, and clinical excellence."
Dr. Kent received his medical degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. He continued his medical training at the Naval Medical Center, San Diego, where he completed his internship in pediatrics in 2005 and residency in anesthesiology in 2010. He went on to pursue a fellowship in Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, where he also received the Uniformed Services Society of Anesthesiologists Research Award. He stayed on as a staff anesthesiologist and then served as assistant professor at the Uniformed Services University for Health Sciences from 2013 to 2017; during that timeframe, Dr. Kent was recognized as an associate master clinician at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he also served as assistant residency program director for three years.
Dr. Kent served for 13 years as an active-duty naval physician. Following his military commitment, he joined Duke Anesthesiology faculty in 2017 and in 2020 was appointed program director of the Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship. Under his leadership, Dr. Kent helped worked to develop a digital curriculum, advance leadership education, and enhance performance and accountability metrics. In 2023, he transitioned from this role to pursue additional leadership opportunities, and continues to contribute to the fellowship in the capacity of associate program director.
Dr. Kent serves as medical director at the North Pavilion Ambulatory Surgical Center. In this role, he has implemented a data-driven approach across operations, quality assurance, and safety, yielding targeted and impactful initiatives. Furthermore, in partnership with surgery and nursing leadership, he continues to play a critical role in both fiscal and clinical strategy as service lines shift to outpatient settings and new ambulatory surgical centers develop. In 2020, Dr. Kent acquired a Master of Science in Quantitative Management (MSQM) in Health Analytics degree from the Duke Fuqua School of Business to enhance his expertise in analytic techniques and core business management principles in health care. Appointed associate vice chair for perioperative informatics in December of 2021, he remains committed to executing the department’s data strategy in support of operations, education, research, and quality/safety along with maintaining key analytic/data science collaborations throughout the Duke University Health System.
Dr. Kent’s depth of knowledge in pain research has garnered national attention. He regularly shares his expertise in pain conditions and management techniques acquired in the battlefield as well as the hospital setting through invited lectures at national scientific forums. Dr. Kent has also served as a co-editor for the section on Acute and Perioperative Pain in the Pain Medicine journal since 2016.
We would like to express our appreciation to the 9-member search committee for their collective time, efforts and contributions to the search process and selection of Dr. Kent as the ambulatory division chief — an important task that helps ensure the future success of our department. The search committee was chaired by Dr. Timothy Miller and comprised of the following members of our department: Drs. Anne Cherry, Alex Cravanas, Cain Dimon, Jonathan Dunkman, John Eck, Amanda Kumar, Karen Neilsen, and Nicole Scouras.
We would also like to express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Stephen Klein for serving as division chief for nearly two decades and thank him for his commitment to Duke Anesthesiology and the ambulatory anesthesiology specialty.
Please join us in extending Dr. Kent congratulations on his new leadership role in our department. We look forward to the positive impact that he will undoubtedly have in propelling the specialty forward, ultimately driving advancements in patient care.