Kelsey E. Koch, MD

Kelsey E. Koch, MD

Specialties: Thoracic Surgery

Gender: Female

Biography: Originally from the upper Midwest, Dr. Koch earned her medical degree at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. She completed her residency in General Surgery at the University of Iowa and spent 2 years of dedicated research time focusing on oncology research. During this time, she also completed the Association for Surgical Education’s Surgical Education Research Fellowship.

After her General Surgery training, Dr. Koch attended Yale and completed her fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery in New Haven, CT, with a clinical focus in the Thoracic Oncology.

Dr. Koch sees patients with primary lung cancer, cancers metastatic to the lung, mediastinal masses, tracheal abnormalities, esophageal cancer, thoracic outlet syndrome, and chest wall deformities.

Practice Locations

1 UMMC Medical Pavilion
2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216
View Location

Accepted Insurance Plans

The University of Mississippi Medical Center accepts all plans, but may not be an in-network provider with your plan. We encourage you to contact your insurer and ask if the plan is in network with UMMC. Always contact your insurance carrier for specific coverage information.

*Note: Grenada and Holmes County locations have different payor contracts. Oral Surgeons are considered in-network to the medical health plans listed below NOT dental.

Jackson and Madison

Medicare health insurance plans

  • Devoted Health
  • Humana Medicare Advantage
  • Medicare - Fee for Service
  • Railroad Medicare - Fee for Service
  • Shared Health Mississippi
  • United Healthcare (except HMO)
  • Vantage Health Plan - Medicare Advantage
  • Wellcare - Medicare Advantage

Medicaid health plans

  • Mississippi Medicaid Fee for Service
  • MS CAN Plans: Magnolia, Molina, TrueCare
  • MS CHIP: Magnolia, Molina, TrueCare

Dental plans

  • Always Care
  • Avesis
  • Medicaid Fee for Service
  • MS CAN: Magnolia Health Plan, Molina HealthCare, TrueCare
  • Ambetter
  • Unum

Vision plans

  • EyeMed
  • First Look
  • March Vision

Behavioral health plans

  • United Behavioral Health
  • Cigna Behavioral Health

Commercial, Marketplace and other health plans

  • Aetna Health Management (excludes UMMC Madison)
  • Ambetter
  • American Life Care - PHCS/Multiplan
  • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi
  • BCBS Federal
  • Celtic (Transplants)
  • Cigna PPO (excludes transplants; excludes UMMC Madison)
  • Corvel Healthcare Corp (Workers Comp.)
  • First Choice Health Plan - includes Humana PPO Commercial, but not Humana Medicare Advantage
  • First Health Network/Coventry - Aetna
  • Government Employees Health Insurance Association (GEHA) - United Healthcare
  • Interlink Health Services (Transplant)
  • LifeTrac (Transplant)
  • Mississippi Department of Rehab Services (MDRS)
  • Mississippi Physicians Care Network (MPCN)
  • Mississippi State and School Employees' Health Insurance Plan (AHS Network administered by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi)
  • Multiplan - PHCS/American Life Care
  • North Mississippi Health Link
  • OptumHealth Care Solutions, Inc. (Transplant)
  • OptumHealth VA CCN 
  • PPO Plus, LLC/Zelis/Stratose
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • Tricare
  • United Healthcare: PPO Commercial (excludes HMO)
  • Vantage Health Plan: Commercial, PPACA Plan
  • Veterans Administration

Education

Board Certification: General Surgery
Fellowship:Yale University School of Medicine
Medical Education:University Of South Dakota School Of Medicine

Experience

Current Positions

Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, University of Mississippi Medical Center09/2025 - Present
Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, St. Dominic Hospital, 969 Lakeland Dr09/2025 - Present

Specialty Certification Licensure

Certification, Thoracic Surgical Robotics Fellowship, American Association of Thoracic Surgery
Certification, Da Vinci Robotic Surgery Certification
Licensure, Medical License, Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure06/2025 - 06/2026
Certification, General Surgery Board Certification, American Board of Surgery03/2024 - 01/2027

Honors, Awards, and Recognition

Clinical Excellence Award, Yale Medicine, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery2025
Surgical Education Leadership Fellowship, Association of Surgical Education2023
Surgical Education Research Fellow, Association of Surgical Education2022
Medical Student Surgery Clerkship Teaching Award, University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine2022
Clinical Teaching Award Nominee, University of Iowa, Graduate Medical Education2022
Resident Educator of the Year Nominee, University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine2021
First Place, Regional Trauma Resident Paper Competition, American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma2020
T32 Surgical Oncology Research Fellow, University of Iowa, Department of Surgical Oncology2020
Quality Leadership Academy, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics2020
Make a Difference Award, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics2018
Resident Educator of the Year Nominee, University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine2018
Dorothy Shaw Leadership Award, Alpha Delta Pi Foundation2016
Karl Wegner Highest Honors Pathology Award, University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine2015
Clinical Research Assistant, Sanford Health, Department of Pediatric Surgery2013
Leadership Hall of Fame Inductee, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology2012