Dr. Kearl graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1978 with a B.S. in Molecular Biology. He obtained his M.D. degree at the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1982. Post-graduate training included residency in Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Critical Care fellowships at Maricopa Medical Center. He entered private practice in 1988, but returned to Maricopa Medical Center as visiting faculty and section chief in Critical Care during the mid-nineties. He currently practices with Arizona Pulmonary Specialists, Ltd, a large multi-sub-specialty group encompassing primary Pulmonary, Sleep, Critical Care, Infectious diseases, Pulmonary vascular disease, interstitial lung diseases and new approaches to lung cancer.
Dr. Kearl is certified by the American Board of Sleep Medicine-1999, the American Board of Internal Medicine-1985, American Board of Internal Medicine sub-specialties Pulmonary and Critical Care-1987,1988. He was recertified in Critical Care in 2003. He is a fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and the Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Dr. Kearl was co-director and later director of one of the original sleep labs in Arizona. Since 2001 Dr. Kearl has directed several diagnostic sites and functioned as chief medical officer for Comprehensive Solutions – a multi-site and multi-state facility specializing in the diagnosis and clinical management strategies for patients with a wide array of sleep related disorders. Dr. Kearl has developed software for scoring and interpretation of polysomnograms on various platforms since the advent of digital systems in the late 80s. He has personally reviewed over 50,000 sleep records over the course of his 20 year experience in the diagnosis and clinical management of sleep disorders. He has accumulated a vast database of blinded clinical data that is unique in nature and is used by industry in the development of novel treatments for sleep disordered breathing.
Dr. Kearl has served on numerous hospital committees and has lengthy experience as a department chair, medical staff president and hospital board member. He has participated in performance improvement committee work for several institutions and managed care entities.
Dr. Kearl has authored several peer reviewed scientific papers, abstracts and book reviews. He has partipated in the editorial process for the Journals Chest and Critical Care Medicine. Subject matter has included management of lung injury, artificial airways, disorders of oxygen utilization (mitochondrial myopathies) and positive airway pressure interfaces. He has provided lectures by invitation on sleep disorders for multiple facilities in Arizona including St. Joseph’s Hospital, Flagstaff Regional Medical Center, Maricopa Medical Center, Arizona Long Term Care, City of Phoenix Fire Department and Yuma Regional Medical Center. He has presented abstracts at national meetings of both the American Thoracic Society and American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Dr. Kearl has provided consulting services for major national manufacturers of sleep related oxygen delivery devices, pharmaceutical interests, public defenders, district attorney’s and the Arizona Board of Medical Examiners.
Dr. Kearl has been active in clinical research as a primary investigator on several major International Multi-center trials including the pivotal activated protein C trial in 1998. He continues to be involved in basic sleep research and is currently investigating relationships of respiratory event profiles, sleep stage and position.
Dr. Kearl has traveled extensively and at one point recently provided non-technical primary care services in a small village in Africa. He has attended international sleep related meetings and seminars conducted by the World Association of Sleep Medicine.