Sonja Kinney, M.D., assistant professor in the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, has been named division director for general obstetrics and gynecology.
The appointment, which was effective July 1, will allow Dr. Kinney to lead a growing division of eight faculty members and two mid-level providers. She replaces Diana Curran-Galejs, M.D., who will leave UNMC on July 18 to take a position at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
“Dr. Kinney is extremely bright and is held in high regard by the entire department,” said Carl Smith, M.D., professor and chairman of the OB/GYN department. “I have no doubt that she will do a stellar job in this new position.”
A native of Evanston, Ill., Dr. Kinney was an honors graduate of Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in biological anthropology. She earned her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y.
She completed her medical residency training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City before joining UNMC in 2001.
She is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology and is a fellow in the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. In addition to her role as division director, she will continue as the department’s quality assurance officer.
Dr. Kinney’s research and teaching interests have focused on prevention of cervical cancer. She has received five research grants for the Olson Center for Women’s Health aimed at preventing cervical cancer.
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $80 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,400 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.