Biography
Kevin P. Vlahovich, MD, MS, is a board-certified physician in Occupational Medicine and General Public Health & Preventive Medicine. He received his Masters of Science in Clinical Research from the University of New Mexico. Following completion of his medical residency, he worked as an Occupational Medicine physician in Northern Colorado, primarily serving workers in the agricultural and natural gas extraction industries. In 2018 he joined the University of New Mexico as Medical Director of Employee Occupational Health Services. He also serves as Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Preventive Medicine and as Assistant Director of the Preventive Medicine Residency Program at the University of New Mexico. In addition to his clinical duties, he sits on the Southwest Mining Advisory Council, participates in research regarding occupational lung diseases, and conducts medical evaluations for the National Radiation Exposure Screening and Education Program (RESEP).
Personal Statement
I bring a wealth of experiences that contribute positively to the University of New Mexico (UNM) and advance the cause of my medical fields of Public Health and General Preventive Medicine (PH/GPM), and of its specialty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (OEM).
I have a particular interest in working with underserved communities, and have several decades of experience in community service activities with diverse populations spanning from my high school years to the present. I entered medical school with the goal of making a positive difference in the world. I completed medical education at St. George’s University and a subsequent medical internship in Pediatrics at Tulane University in Louisiana. I next moved to Albuquerque to finish residency training in PH/GPM at UNM, while concurrently obtaining a Master of Science in Clinical Research (MSCR) degree. I successfully defended my graduate thesis concerning the effect of different forms of electronic media on food choices amongst American Indian children enrolled in Head Start programs in rural New Mexico. From 2014-2018 I worked as an occupational medicine physician in rural Northern Colorado, serving patients in the agricultural and hydraulic fracturing industries, many of whom had debilitating injuries requiring longterm care and pain management. I also cared for large migrant and refugee populations employed by these industries. It was fulfilling to know I was providing quality care to a place where good health was readily accessible to many people.
In 2018, seeking to make a lasting impact in the field of medicine and explore interests in education and research that had been lacking in previous employment, I accepted a position as Medical Director of Employee Occupational Health Services (EOHS) at UNM, and am an Assistant Professor in the Division of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Preventive Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine. In my role as Medical Director I oversee a staff of two midlevel practitioners, nurses, and non-medical support staff. I also serve on several advisory committees that endeavor to improve workplace safety and job satisfaction at UNM. At EOHS I perform clinical duties of providing care for injured workers, and oversee several screening programs, including hearing conservation and lung disease monitoring for at-risk workers
In my role as core faculty with the Preventive Medicine Residency (PMR) program, I contribute to activities such as didactic sessions, journal club, resident performance evaluations, and selection of future residents. I provide mentorship for residents in research projects, career planning, and guidance when working through individual stresses that arise from being in a medical residency program. I also oversee the elective rotation in OEM for residents in Preventive Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Family and Community Medicine. I have developed a rotation curriculum that I continue to improve based upon my own experience and feedback from residents. Currently I am working with PMR residents to develop a board exam study curriculum, aiming to streamline the current program and improve overall exam scores.
My professional and research interests are in occupational medicine, underserved populations, workplace safety, chronic pain management, substance abuse and addiction, and nutrition and preventive lifestyle management.
Areas of Specialty
Public Health & General Preventive Medicine
Occupational Medicine
Lifestyle Medicine
Certifications
Public Health & General Preventive Medicine Occupational Medicine Lifestyle Medicine
Languages
- English