Kikano, George

Biography

George E. Kikano, M.D. is the executive vice president for Health Affairs and dean of the College of Medicine at Central Michigan University. He began his tenure at CMU in 2015 as the dean and in 2018 received the additional appointment of vice president for health affairs, which became executive vice president for Health Affairs in 2024.

As executive vice president for Health Affairs, Kikano is responsible for the unification of all CMU health-related programs, functions and clinical services as well as aspects of regulatory compliance, quality, information security, and privacy. He is also the chair of the board for CMU Medical Education Partners, CMU’s sponsoring organization for graduate medical programs and an academic practice plan.

Kikano is passionately committed to teaching, community partnerships, access to care, and the College’s mission to educate diverse students and train culturally competent physicians to provide comprehensive health care and services to underserved populations in Michigan and beyond.

Before joining CMU, Kikano was the Dorothy Jones Weatherhead professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. He served as the chairman of the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University for over 12 years. Kikano received his Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at University Hospitals of Cleveland. He is Board-certified in Family Medicine and earned Certified Physician Executive credentials at the American Association for Physician Leaders. Kikano remains a practicing family physician.

Kikano is the recipient of several awards and was recognized as a Health Care Hero by Crain’s Cleveland Business. Kikano has served in many professional organizations and is a former President of the Academy of Medicine of Cleveland and North East Ohio. He is an active leader and board member for many regional organizations and initiatives. He has published more than 50 medical articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been an investigator on several federal grants focusing on education and research. Kikano also has been involved in international projects related to primary care sponsoring educational conferences in Lebanon, coordinating exchange programs in Ukraine, and most recently teaching and establishing major research initiatives in China.