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Russell G. Vinik

Russell G. Vinik, MD

Languages spoken: English, Spanish
  • Dr. Vinik completed medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 1999 and Internal Medicine residency at Yale, Greenwich Hospital in 2002. He subsequently began his career as a full-time Hospitalist caring for inpatients at the University of Utah Hospitals. He practiced as a full time hospitalist for 9 years and then began a gradual transition to healthcare administration. Dr. Vinik was Medical Director for Case Management and Utilization Review from 2011 until 2015. He led the initiative on physician education about ICD-10 at the University hospital. By focusing on improving documentation and inpatient coding University hospital saw improvement in revenue as well as risk adjusted outcomes, helping to keep the hospital in the top 10 of Vizient rankings for 11 years in a row. In January 2015, Dr. Vinik began as Medical Director for GBS Benefits, a Utah based health insurance broker and consultant. He was Chief Medical Officer for the University of Utah Health Plans from 2015 to 2020, then returned to hospital administration in 2020 where he serves as Chief Medical Operations Officer where he is responsible for Ambulatory Pharmacy as well as other administrative roles.

    Board Certification

    American Board of Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine)
  • Dr. Vinik completed medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 1999 and Internal Medicine residency at Yale, Greenwich Hospital in 2002. He subsequently began his career as a full-time Hospitalist caring for inpatients at the University of Utah Hospitals. He practiced as a full time hospitalist for 9 years and then began a gradual transition to healthcare administration. Dr. Vinik was Medical Director for Case Management and Utilization Review from 2011 until 2015. He led the initiative on physician education about ICD-10 at the University hospital. By focusing on improving documentation and inpatient coding University hospital saw improvement in revenue as well as risk adjusted outcomes, helping to keep the hospital in the top 10 of Vizient rankings for 11 years in a row. In January 2015, Dr. Vinik began as Medical Director for GBS Benefits, a Utah based health insurance broker and consultant. He was Chief Medical Officer for the University of Utah Health Plans from 2015 to 2020, then returned to hospital administration in 2020 where he serves as Chief Medical Operations Officer where he is responsible for Ambulatory Pharmacy as well as other administrative roles.

    Board Certification and Academic Information

    Academic Departments Internal Medicine -Primary
    Academic Divisions General Medicine
    Board Certification
    American Board of Internal Medicine (Internal Medicine)

    Education history

    Certification Accounting and Finance for the Non-Finance Major - University of Utah Certificate
    Internal Medicine - Greenwich Hospital Chief Resident
    Residency Internal Medicine - Greenwich Hospital Resident
    Internal Medicine - University of Texas Medical Branch Intern
    Professional Medical Medicine - University of Texas Southwestern M.D.
    Biology - University of Texas at Austin B.A.