Joseph Patruno, MD, invited to join national Collaborative for Health and Renewal in Medicine (CHARM)

Joseph Patruno, MD, Chief Wellness Officer with Valley Preferred, the physician hospital organization affiliated with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), was invited to be a member of the Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine (CHARM) Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) Network. This national network comprises health care CWOs or equivalent executive-level leaders responsible for overseeing the health care professional well-being efforts of their institutions.

The invitation was extended by Jonathan A. Ripp, MD, Dean for Well-Being and Resilience, Professor of Medicine, Medical Education, Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Chief Wellness Officer, Mount Sinai Health System, and Co-Chair, Collaborative for Healing and Renewal in Medicine, New York, NY; and Tait Shanafelt, MD, Jeanie & Stewart Ritchie Professor of Medicine, Chief Wellness Officer and Associate Dean, Stanford School of Medicine.

“The CHARM network provides a professional community where these leaders can come together and learn from each other,” says Dr. Patruno. “By championing wellness programs within our own institutions and collaborating with others across the country to identify and spread best practices, we hope to make effective wellness initiatives more widely available. I’m very proud to have been included in this dynamic and innovative group.” He also notes, “This is a select group and being included further emphasizes our organization’s investment and commitment to clinician wellness.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, there is recognition that physician fatigue is due to characteristics of the practice environment, rather than deficits in personal resilience. This has helped focus mitigation efforts on improving organizational culture and practice efficiency. Motivation to address the problem is heightened by a link between occupational distress in health care professionals and quality of care, patient experience, turnover, and the economic health of the organization. Because progress requires system-level infrastructure and leadership, health care leaders from across the country recommend that health care organization consider naming an executive-level leader (CWO).

The CWO’s role in each respective institution is to oversee steps that support the well-being of caregivers, and often, other employees in the health system. They also play a pivotal role in the efforts to initiate and implement organization-wide improvements in culture and approach.

In addition to his role as Chief Wellness Officer at Valley Preferred, Dr. Patruno, who specializes in OBGYN, practices as a member of Lehigh Practice Group at The Health Center in Palmer Township. He received his medical degree from Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, and completed internships and residencies in obstetrics and gynecology at Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PA.

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ABOUT VALLEY PREFERRED

Valley Preferred, a clinician-led, preferred provider organization aligned with Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), is dedicated to Achieving Clinical Excellence® through the development and implementation of innovative programs to improve health care delivery and value in the community. Formed by Lehigh Valley Physician Hospital Organization, Inc. (LVPHO), Valley Preferred has a corporate philosophy consistent with the goals of the Quadruple Aim: Better health. Better care. Better cost. Better clinician experience. Collaboration is essential to achieving these goals. Working together, and driven by data insights from Populytics, a population health management and data analytics company, clinicians are able to deliver even more proactive, informed, and targeted care. Valley Preferred also endorses Employer Health Solutions, a partnership of multifaceted health and wellness resources available through LVHN and Populytics. For more information, visit http://www.valleypreferred.com/ and https://www.populytics.com/.