Dr. Russell Kohl Named Chief Medical Officer of TransforMED

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

LEAWOOD, Kan.— Russell Kohl, MD, FAAFP, has been named chief medical officer of TransforMED effective immediately. TransforMED provides ongoing consultation, support, tools and resources to physicians and practice leaders looking to transform their practices to the patient-centered medical home model of care. The company is a non-profit, wholly owned subsidiary of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

In his leadership role as chief medical officer, Kohl’s primary responsibility is to ensure the clinical appropriateness of TransforMED materials, solutions and interventions. His work with practices and health care systems will assist clients in the implementation of these solutions. Kohl will provide support across all aspects of TransforMED, ensuring that organizational knowledge is diffused throughout the company. Kohl will also support efforts to build strategic relationships between TransforMED and potential clients and business affiliates.

Prior to being named chief medical officer, Kohl was medical director of innovation for the TransforMED Centers of Excellence, an internal resource center dedicated to the study and analysis of various elements of successful patient-centered medical home practices. The Centers serves as a resource for TransforMED project managers to assist in teaching specific disciplines, such as health information technology, care continuity and coordination, care management and practice management. The chief medical officer position is newly created to better define Kohl’s role within TransforMED as clinical leader.

“Since joining us last year, Russell’s energy and creativity have helped us redefine TransforMED as an industry leader in helping people succeed in primary care,” said Bruce Bagley, MD, FAAFP, president and CEO of TransforMED. “The combination of practice experience, academic rigor and analytic skills has made Dr. Kohl’s contribution to TransforMED extremely valuable. As CMO, he will join the senior leadership team to help guide TransforMED’s future.”

Prior to joining TransforMED in 2013, Kohl was the Paul E. Tietze MD chair in family medicine and associate professor at University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine in Tulsa, and an adjunct associate professor of family and preventative medicine in the Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City. In these roles, he worked closely with medical students and family medicine residents, educating them about the clinical practice of medicine, the role of the physician in the community and the business aspects of running a medical practice.

Prior to joining the faculty at the University of Oklahoma, Kohl owned a solo family practice in Vinita, Oklahoma. In addition, Kohl has managed the implementation of a hospital electronic medical record system, as well as the strategic planning and operations of hospital information technology systems as chief medical informatics officer at Craig General Hospital in Vinita.

Kohl has developed many teaching materials on subjects ranging from medical ethics to the use of electronic devices. In 2012, he created and implemented two transformation-themed resources: "MEDS," a transition of care model to reduce medical errors and decrease hospitalizations following hospital discharge, and a resident interim evaluation handoff tool to ensure adequate supervision and education of residents during attending physician changes.

Kohl has served as a contributing clinical researcher and is president of the Oklahoma Physicians Resource-Research Network in Oklahoma City, one of the nation's premier primary care practice-based research networks. In addition to serving as a medical reviewer for the Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association and on the editorial board of the journal Family Practice Management, he frequently provides insight into medical issues with expert commentary for media outlets. He also is a frequent presenter regarding TransforMED’s work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Innovation Center and the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative.

The CPC Initiative is a multi-payer initiative that provides financial support to primary care practices in seven markets nationwide. TransforMED is working with the Innovation Center to support the CPC model, which combines payment reform with practice transformation in three of the seven regions.

Kohl received his doctorate in medicine from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, and completed his residency within its department of family and community medicine. He graduated cum laude with a bachelor's of university studies from Oklahoma State University's College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology in Stillwater.

In addition to his academic and clinical career, Kohl is a lieutenant colonel and senior flight surgeon in the Oklahoma Air National Guard, and has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He was previously the chief of aerospace medicine for the 138th Fighter Wing, where he supervised all aeromedical, occupational and industrial medicine operations within the Wing. He continues to serve with the 185th Aerial Refueling Squadron, where he leads the squadron medical element.