Dr. Kevin High – 2025 Hooding Speaker
Dr. Kevin T. High is Professor of Medicine and Translational Science at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and has been a faculty member since 1993 and Vice Chief Academic Officer/academic Learning Health System (VCAO/aLHS), Advocate Health since September, 2023. In this role, he is responsible for intentionally blurring the lines between the clinical and academic missions: accelerating research into impactful clinical care and fostering integrated academic and health system endeavors in comparative effectiveness, implementation science and practice, and assuring the academic and clinical missions are aligned. For 8½ years (2015-2023) he served as President, Wake Forest Baptist Health (WFBH)/Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist (AHWFB) where he was responsible for all clinical operations within the AHWFB market of Atrium Health (AH). During his tenure WFBH/AHWFB grew from 3 hospitals to 6, increased the number of providers by > 40%, doubled clinical revenue, added services/expanded outreach, and became a leader in value-based care. In 2020, WFBH formed a strategic partnership with AH based in Charlotte, and in 2022 AH combined with Advocate Aurora Health in the Midwest; the combined entity known as Advocate Health is the 3rd largest nonprofit health system in the US. Dr. High’s prior positions included: Chief, Section on Infectious Diseases; Tinsley R. Harrison Professor and Chair Department of Internal Medicine (WFUSM); Physician-in-Chief (WFBH); Associate Dean, Clinical and Community Research (WFUSM).
Academics and Research: Dr. High is a clinician-scientist with research focused on infections and immunity in older adults. He is a national leader integrating gerontology and geriatrics into the specialties of Internal Medicine helping initiate two junior faculty development programs with national impact: the T. Franklin Williams Scholars program funded by Atlantic Philanthropies and John A. Hartford Foundation, and the Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program – a public/private partnership with the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Dr. High was Principal Investigator for the national Coordinating Center for NIA-sponsored Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers from 2008-2016, and served as a member of the National Advisory Council for the National Institute on Aging (NIA) 2012-2016 and the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Board of Directors 2006-2010 and Chair, Education Committee of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2008-2010. He has been on the editorial boards of Clinical Infectious Diseases and Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, and an Associate Editor of Hazzard’s Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology textbook (6th – 8th editions). He is the author of 30+ book chapters and 120+ peer-reviewed journal articles including research published in New England Journal of Medicine, Aging Cell, Blood, Clinical Infectious Diseases and Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Clinical Activities: Dr. High is actively engaged in clinical care and ABIM certified in both Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases.
Honors: Dr. High received the 2009 Eric G. Neilson Distinguished Professor Award from the Association of Specialty Professors, the 2012 Laureate Award from the NC Chapter – American College of Physicians, the 2013 Special Recognition Award from the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine; achieved the rank of Master, American College of Physicians in 2018, and recognized for his clinical excellence by Best Doctors in North Carolina® and Best Doctors in America®. He has also been honored with numerous teaching awards by students and house staff.