Russell G. Buhr, MD, PhD
Accepting new patients

Russell G. Buhr, MD, PhD

(he/him)
  • Pulmonology|
  • Critical Care Medicine|
  • Pulmonary Critical Care
Pulmonology | 200 Medical Plaza, Suite 365, Los Angeles, CA 90095

About

Dr. Russell Buhr is a pulmonary and critical care physician who has an outpatient practice in Westwood, and cares for hospitalized patients at UCLA facilities in Westwood and Santa Monica and at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. His primary clinical interests are complex asthma, COPD and a rare lung disease called Alpha-1 anti-trypsin (AAT) deficiency.  He is board certified in internal medicine, critical care medicine and pulmonary disease.

In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Buhr conducts clinical, translational, and health services research on treatments and programs to prevent COPD exacerbations and keep patients with advanced lung disease out of the hospital. The main goal of this research is to help patients with lung disease preserve their independence and stay as healthy and active as possible. 

Dr. Buhr is a first-generation university graduate who grew up in the rural Willamette Valley of Oregon before moving to Los Angeles, where he graduated with honors from Azusa Pacific University. He completed his medical degree at the University of Southern California with induction into the graduate honor society. He completed his internal medicine residency at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, where he served as Chief Resident at the Washington, DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He then completed his pulmonary and critical care medicine fellowship at UCLA. He also received his PhD in Health Policy and Management at UCLA, focusing on ways to prevent unnecessary hospitalizations in patients with COPD.

Dr. Buhr is an assistant professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine and the Fielding School of Public Health, a Fellow of the American Thoracic Society and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.

Languages

English, Spanish

Education

Medical Board Certifications

Critical Care Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2017
Pulmonary Disease, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2016
Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine, 2013

Fellowship

Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, 2017

Residencies

Chief Resident, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, 2014
Internal Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, 2013

Internship

Internal Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, 2011

Degrees

PhD, UCLA School of Public Health, 2019
PhD, UCLA STAR Program, 2019
MD, Keck School of Medicine of the USC, 2010

Recognitions

  • LGBTQ+ champion
  • Solovy Award for Advancement in COPD, Respiratory Health Association, 2024
  • Fellow, American Thoracic Society, 2024
  • Super Doctors® Southern California Rising Stars, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
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Locations

West Los Angeles

Pulmonology

Pulmonology| Critical Care Medicine| Interstitial Lung Disease +4 more specialties

Hospital Affiliations

Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center

Research

Interests

  • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
  • Asthma
  • Healthcare Delivery System Improvement
  • Implementation Science
  • Health Policy Analysis
  • Health Disparities
  • Social Determinants of Health

Insurance

  • Aetna
  • Anthem Blue Cross
  • Blue Shield of California
  • Centivo
  • Cigna
  • First Health
  • Health Net of California
  • Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
  • L.A. Care
  • Medicare Advantage
  • MultiPlan
  • UFCM Health System
  • Prime Health Services
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • TRICARE
  • UnitedHealthcare

The list of health care plans above may not be comprehensive and could change. 
Please contact your benefits coordinator or health insurance company directly to verify coverage.

Visit our health insurance information page for more details.

Recognitions

  • Solovy Award for Advancement in COPD, Respiratory Health Association, 2024
  • Fellow, American Thoracic Society, 2024
  • Super Doctors® Southern California Rising Stars, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024
  • UCLA Pulmonary & Critical Care Educator of the Year, 2023
  • UCLA Medical Student Training in Aging Research Program Mentor of the Year, 2021
  • Health Policy Article of the Year, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2021
  • Fellow, American College of Physicians, 2020