Paul A. Kearney, MD

Paul Kearney received his MD in 1980 (AOA) from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. . Following completion of General Surgery Training at the University South Florida Hospitals (1986), he completed a two year Trauma Fellowship at the University of Michigan Hospitals, Ann Arbor. While there, he obtained a Master’s (1986) in clinical experimental design and biostatistics from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Dr. Kearney joined the University of Kentucky in 1988 as an Assistant Professor, Regular Title Series in the Department of Surgery, Section of Trauma and Critical Care. He has spent his entire academic career at the University of Kentucky rising to the rank of Full Professor with Tenure, Regular Title series. Dr. Kearney is Board Certified and Recertified in both general surgery and surgical critical care. He served as Director of the Surgical and Trauma intensive care units from 1988-2011 and was chief of the Section of Trauma and Critical Care from 1991-2011. He started and served as medical director (1989-2008) for the first Nutrition Support Service at UK hospital. He was part of the team that successfully obtained ACS Level I trauma center status for the University of Kentucky. When he stepped down as Section chief in 2011, the UK Level I trauma center was ranked in the top five trauma centers in the US with the third lowest adjusted mortality, lowest ICU mortality, and the shortest length of stay among US Trauma centers. Dr. Kearney brought local, regional, and national recognition to the UK Trauma Program. Dr. Kearney has a 2 million dollar Endowed Chair in his name that is currently assigned to Andrew Bernard MD, FACS. Over his career he has 29 teaching awards including the Richard Schwartz Award. He has twenty "America's Top Physician" awards and 16 "America's Top Surgeons" awards. One hundred peer reviewed manuscripts in the scientific literature, over 100 abstracts, four book chapters. Well over 300 invited lectures in addition to 10 invited visiting professorships at other Academic Medical Centers. Dr. Kearney belongs to the most prestigious surgical organization in the United States. Surgeons, both male and female, that he trained direct Trauma Programs here at UK, Georgetown University, East Carolina, and University of Missouri. In recognition for his lifetime achievement he received an Honorary Doctorate of Science in 2013 from his undergraduate Alma Mater, Providence College. Doctor has been a volunteer surgeon at Surgery on Sunday since inception in 2005 providing free outpatient surgery for those who cannot afford the procedure. For that service, he was recognized by the State of Kentucky as the Senior volunteer of the year (2019).