Kevin Lobdell

Dr. Kevin W. Lobdell is a cardiac surgeon, intensivist, and an internationally recognized leader in quality, patient safety, and digital health innovation. He currently serves as the System Director at Advocate Health’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute, Program Director for the CT Surgery Fellowship, and Professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. Board-certified in both cardiothoracic surgery and surgical critical care, Dr. Lobdell possesses a unique, comprehensive perspective on all aspects of congenital and acquired cardiac disease and the entire continuum of care, which has been the driving force behind his career-long dedication to improving cardiac surgical outcomes. His work is defined by a proven ability to design, implement, and scale data-driven quality improvement programs that have markedly and demonstrably reduced mortality and morbidity. This expertise has culminated in his leadership of transformative initiatives that are reshaping perioperative care on a global scale.

A passionate innovator and scholar, Dr. Lobdell has authored approximately 110 peer-reviewed publications and delivered more than 220 presentations throughout the world. His recent research priority is on transformative models of care, most notably through the “Perfect Care” initiative. This program, which he designed and for which he secured a $1.11 million grant from The Duke Endowment, leverages remote telemonitoring and digital health technologies to personalize patient recovery and has expanded into a collaborative improvement network of 33 hospitals. Dr. Lobdell’s influence extends to shaping the standards of the specialty itself through his extensive leadership within the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, where he has served as Chair of the Workforce on Research Development and contributed to the development of the national STS risk models. He is also a key figure in the adoption of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols, serving as VP of Development and Treasurer for the ERAS Cardiac Surgery Society and co-authoring seminal consensus statements that guide best practices worldwide. Additionally, Dr. Lobdell is an active member of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery and the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery.