Physician Executive | Healthcare Strategist | Board Advisor
“Focus. Rigor. Experience. Hustle.”
Dr. Russ J. Kino is an accomplished physician executive and healthcare leader with more than 40 years of experience in emergency medicine, hospital administration, clinical informatics, and organizational governance. His career combines clinical expertise with executive leadership, business management, and healthcare technology, providing a practical perspective on improving patient care, operational performance, and institutional strategy.
Since 2015, Dr. Kino has served as Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO) at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. In this role, he provides physician leadership in clinical informatics, digital health, patient safety, and operational improvement. He also contributes to Providence system initiatives involving emergency medicine, patient flow, and operational performance across its network of 52 hospitals.
Dr. Kino previously spent approximately 25 years as Medical Director of Emergency Services at Providence Saint John’s, overseeing emergency department operations, clinical quality, physician leadership, and patient care. From July 2024 through April 2026, he served as Chairman of Emergency Medicine, focusing on departmental strategy, physician engagement, and operational effectiveness.
His executive experience includes approximately two decades as President and CEO of Saint John’s Emergency Medicine Specialists, Inc., where he managed physician operations, organizational strategy, and business development. He was also Vice President and Co-Founder of the Independent Emergency Physicians’ Consortium, which managed more than one million emergency department visits annually across California.
Dr. Kino brings substantial board and governance experience, having served two separate three-year terms on the Board of Directors of Saint John’s Health Center. His responsibilities included financial oversight, hospital strategy, quality, audit, and regulatory compliance, including leadership of an audit and compliance committee. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Menorah Housing Foundation from 2014 to 2020.
His interest in healthcare innovation extends to advisory roles with medical technology companies, including TigerConnect and Stasis Labs. He provides guidance on clinical workflows, physician engagement, technology adoption, and the practical challenges of introducing digital solutions into healthcare environments.
For more than 30 years, Dr. Kino has also worked as an independent medical and legal consultant, providing expert case reviews and courtroom testimony involving emergency medicine, standards of care, medical malpractice, and patient safety. His experience offers valuable insight into clinical risk, regulatory responsibilities, and organizational accountability.
An experienced educator and speaker, Dr. Kino served as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine in Emergency Medicine at UCLA. He has taught emergency medicine board review courses through Johns Hopkins University, presented to national physician audiences, and contributed research to medical journals including Chest and Annals of Emergency Medicine.
Originally trained in Australia, Dr. Kino earned his medical qualification from the University of Western Australia before completing emergency medicine residency training through UCLA Medical Center and Olive View Medical Center. He also completed executive management studies at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. His international clinical experience includes the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Western Australia and expedition medicine in East and Central Africa.
Dr. Kino holds the distinctions of Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians (FACEP) and Fellow of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (FACEM). His professional honors include the Buchanan Prize for the highest score in the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine national fellowship examination and a UCLA Excellence in Teaching Award.
Drawing on decades of clinical, executive, and board experience, Dr. Kino is interested in additional board and advisory opportunities involving healthcare, digital health, medical technology, and hospital operations. He brings sound clinical judgment, business experience, and a practical understanding of the challenges facing healthcare organizations.
Character: Dr. Kino is known for integrity, accountability, resilience, and a disciplined approach to leadership. He values sound judgment, professional responsibility, and meaningful improvements in patient care.
Knowledge: His expertise spans emergency medicine, hospital administration, clinical informatics, healthcare technology, regulatory compliance, and governance. His clinical and executive experience provides a broad understanding of healthcare operations and organizational risk.
Strategic: Dr. Kino combines clinical insight with operational and financial understanding to help organizations address complex challenges. His experience in hospital leadership, physician organizations, and technology advisory roles supports informed planning and effective execution.
Communication: An experienced educator, advisor, and medical expert witness, Dr. Kino communicates complex clinical and operational issues with clarity. He works effectively with physicians, executives, legal professionals, technology leaders, and governing boards.
