Dr. Kristin Mekeel is a nationally recognized transplant surgeon and healthcare leader who currently serves as the Chief Quality Officer at University of Colorado Health – Anschutz Medical Campus. A Professor of Surgery, Dr. Mekeel brings a distinguished background in clinical excellence, academic leadership, and system-wide quality improvement to her role.
Prior to joining UCHealth, Dr. Mekeel served as Chief of Transplant and Hepatobiliary Surgery at UC San Diego Health, where she led a period of significant programmatic growth, achieving exceptional transplant outcomes and fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and innovation. She also served as Vice Chair for Quality in the Department of Surgery and Associate Chief Medical Officer for Perioperative Services, spearheading institutional efforts to enhance surgical safety, OR efficiency, and interdisciplinary communication.
Dr. Mekeel’s leadership is grounded in integrity, compassion, and a commitment to team-building across generational, specialty, and professional boundaries. She has championed workforce engagement strategies, modernized professionalism reporting structures, and promoted data-driven improvements in clinical outcomes. Her scholarly work focuses on transplant outcomes, team science, and the application of AI and large language models to quality challenges in healthcare.
Dr. Mekeel is an active contributor to national transplant and quality improvement organizations. She is also a frequent invited speaker on leadership, quality, and team dynamics in complex surgical environments.