Kent Blakely, MD

Dr Blakely joins us as the Chief Medical Officer of the Rheumatology Division. He has practiced rheumatology for 30 years. He graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He completed internal medicine residency, chief residency, and rheumatology fellowship at the Geisinger Clinic in Pennsylvania. His wife of 37 years is also a physician, practicing in Ophthalmology. Together they have 3 adult daughters and one granddaughter, age 5. His interests are ice hockey, fly fishing, tennis, hiking and camping soccer and especially family.

Dr Blakely, in addition to his clinical background, has experience in leadership roles and clinical management. While working as a full-time rheumatologist in a variety of settings, he has also served as a medical director of a provider sponsored health plan, medical director of care management of a regional hospital, chairman of a physician organization, and chairman / medical director of Sentinel Healthcare, a physician/hospital organization. He has served nationally on the American College of Rheumatology regional advisory committee representing Midwest / Northcentral states. He has also been active in clinical research for over 15 years with several co-authorships of published rheumatology studies with the Rheumatoid Arthritis Investigational Network.