Christopher Kane, MD, CEO of the UC San Diego Health Physician Group and senior assistant vice chancellor of clinical affairs for UC San Diego Health Sciences, was recently appointed to the position of president of the American Board of Urology (ABU), the organization that sets and maintains the standards for the specialty certification of more than 11,000 urologists in the United States.
Kane is the first physician from UC San Diego Health to serve in this leadership role with the ABU. He has served as a trustee for the organization for five years and became eligible for the presidency in the final year of his six-year tenure. The organization’s mission is to improve urologic care, promote lifelong learning, and ensure ethical and high-quality care.
"Dr. Kane is a nationally renowned leader whose clinical acumen, academic rigor, and deep commitment to mentorship have shaped the future of urology,” said Patty Maysent, CEO of UC San Diego Health. “From bench to beside and classroom to supervised training, his ability to inspire excellence has earned him widespread respect and recognition. His appointment as ABU president is a testament to his rare combination of compassion, curiosity, and strategic insight. These qualities continue to influence the field of urology and inspire and elevate the next generation of urologists.”
Kane specializes in diagnosing and treating patients with prostate, kidney, bladder and testicular cancer. He has extensive expertise in robotic prostatectomy, open and laparoscopic kidney cancer surgery, and bladder and testes cancer surgery.
“While on an early rotation in urology, I fell in love with the challenge of the complex surgeries and the camaraderie and dedication of the team,” said Kane. “Being a trustee for the ABU has provided a similar opportunity for collaboration and empowerment working alongside the best urologists in the field. Those years of experience are now culminating in my presidency, where I have the privilege of advocating for my fellow physicians and sharing the professional and public health benefits of board certification.”
The ABU plays a crucial role in ensuring the competency and proficiency of urologists across the country. As a trustee, Kane’s responsibilities focused on examination development and certification processes. He contributed to the creation of both the qualifying exam, which follows residency, and the certifying exam, which assesses practicing urologists. As president, he now turns his attention to refining certification protocols and enhancing the overall experience for urologists undergoing initial qualification and recertification.
“Dr. Kane has served selflessly in numerous leadership roles for the American Urological Association (Western section) and the Society for Urologic Oncology, as well as the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons,” said Manoj Monga, MD, chair of the Department of Urology at University of California San Diego School of Medicine. “His ability to be a catalyst for constructive dialogue and consensus building will serve the American Board of Urology and the public well.”
As CEO of the UC San Diego Health Physician Group, Kane collaborates with leadership to ensure access, quality, safety and patient satisfaction and is integrated to support the unique and growing needs of an expanding academic health system and its growing regional network of providers.
Kane is also the senior assistant vice chancellor of clinical affairs for UC San Diego Health Sciences and has authored more than 390 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters with a focus on prostate cancer risk factors and outcomes, prostate cancer surgery, and minimally invasive surgery for prostate and kidney cancer.
He serves on the editorial boards of several major urology journals, as well as the American Urologic Association Prostate Cancer Management Guidelines Committee. He was the founding chair of the Department of Urology at UC San Diego School of Medicine and served in that role for approximately thirteen years.
“Today, lifelong learning is more important than ever but keeping up with the pace at which information is evolving can be overwhelming,” said Kane. “It will be an honor to work with the ABU as president to partner with leaders in the field to continue adjusting and streamlining the ongoing learning and examination processes while maintaining the same high bar for patient outcomes and experiences.”
As part of his role with the ABU, Kane recently authored a study proving that its certification process is effective in ensuring the highest quality of specialty services and providing helpful guidance for patients looking for care. The data shows that doctors who pass the multi-step certification process on their first attempt have a very low chance of facing adverse patient or professional outcomes at any point in their careers.
“My goal is to ensure we continue to invest in research that makes the case for board certification as key to not only building a successful practice but also protecting public health and continuing to move patient care forward,” said Kane.
UC San Diego Health is ranked No. 1 locally and nationally in 10 specialties, including 43rd in the nation for urological care by U.S. News & World Report. It also ranks among the top ten academic medical centers in the U.S., according to Vizient, Inc.
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