Kris Rooney, MD, has been named Chief Wellness Officer, Valley Preferred, the preferred provider organization associated with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN).

Dr. Rooney, a Pediatric Hospital Medicine Physician, LVHN Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, brings renewed energy to the health network’s efforts to identify and address factors contributing to health-care provider stress and fatigue. A Mayo Clinic survey of physicians found that, nationally, 42 percent experienced symptoms of burnout in 2021.

Rooney, a member of the LVHN Wellness Committee, has served as the Department of Pediatrics Physician Wellness Champion for the past four years. She is active in several initiatives supporting graduate medical education and pediatric departmental wellness and serves as a consultant regarding resident and fellow well-being, having been involved in several national workshops related to physician well-being, resilience and reducing physician burnout.

“As a woman, wife, mother, dedicated physician and educator, Dr. Rooney is the right person for addressing this issue with understanding and compassion,” said Mark Wendling, MD, Valley Preferred Executive Director.

“Our physician wellness program has already made great progress in identifying specific areas contributing to burnout and bringing providers tools to help manage stress. I know we will make continued progress under Dr. Rooney’s leadership,” Wendling said.

Rooney is a proactive medical professional involved in teaching, lecturing and community service in addition to caring for her patients. Rooney is Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Pediatrics and Program Director of the Pediatric Residency Program. Her teaching capacities include serving as a USF SELECT Program Pediatric Faculty Development Mentor and in the LVHN Pediatric Residency Faculty Mentor Program.

Rooney has been an invited speaker at many educational events, nationally and regionally, and has received numerous awards and honors, including the Jacobi Faculty Teaching Award Certificate of Excellence and the Penn State Children’s Hospital Pediatric Resident Teaching Award.

Rooney, who received a Doctor of Medicine from The Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine, completed post-graduate work at Penn State Children’s Hospital, Hershey, and was a selected member for elite clinical education in the American Pediatric Association’s Advancing Pediatric Educator eXcellence (APEX) Teaching Program.

Rooney is certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in general pediatrics and pediatric hospital medicine.

Information: https://www.valleypreferred.com/; https://www.populytics.com/