Dr. Kris Nwokeji &
KION Pediatrics: Redefining the doctor’s office experience By ella ColeMan Kris Nwokeji, MD (affectionately called Dr. Kris), is redefining doctor’s office visits for children and their parents at KION Pediatrics. While the letters KION are his initials, the word “kion” is of Swahili origin and means “leader.” Certainly, leadership is central to the vision and goals of KION in Jonesboro, Arkansas. “We want to bridge that gap between good health and success. A child that is healthy will do well and succeed. That’s why we want to enhance the quality of life for future leaders. If you are a KION kid today, our goal is that you will be a healthy leader tomorrow in any area you choose,” Dr. Kris says.
THE PATH TO PEDIATRICS
Becoming a doctor was a path Dr. Kris was destined to travel. He was born in Austin, Texas, to Nigerian parents who relocated to Nigeria, where he grew up. “I knew I wanted to be a doctor at eight years old, and that it would be pediatrics. Kids respond well to me and I have a calming effect on babies.” So, in Nigeria, he attended boarding school and at age 16, entered medical school at Abia State University, completing his degree with distinction. Continuing his medical journey, Dr. Kris returned to the United States. He did his residency in New York at Columbia Univer-
Top: Kris Nwokeji, MD and owner, KION Pediatrics; Bottom: KION Pediatrics
sity College of Physicians and Surgeons and Harlem Hospital. He conducted pediatric endocrinology research at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, and later was a general pediatrician in New Jersey before moving to Newport, Arkansas. He has now been
in primary care pediatrics for 10 years. “See, I enjoy what I do, making sure that children are healthy. So, for me, it doesn’t feel like work,” Dr. Kris says. A FUN AND HEALTHY PLACE
The fun environment at KION Pediatrics has children excited
