KION Pediatrics

Dr. Kris Nwokeji & KION Pediatrics:

Redefining the doctor’s office experience

By ella ColeMan

Kris Nwokeji, MD (aff ectionately called Dr. Kris), is redefining doctor’s offi ce visits for children and their p arents 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

A color-popping jungle scene -- one of many murals at KION Pediatrics

about their appointments. “We don’t want the doctor’s offi ce to be a place where kids are scared to go. Once the kids come here, it becomes a favorite activity for them,” he says. “You can talk to a lot of our parents and they will tell you their children say, ‘I want to go back to see Dr. Kris.’ Some of them will even fake an illness just to come back.”

The wonderland-like atmosphere at KION is extremely exciting for kids. Dr. Kris explains, “There are four exam rooms and every room has a theme. So, while the parents are filling out paperwork, the children are having fun. The Avengers Room is filled with great posters the children like and an outer space exam table. The Paw Patrol Room has a fire engine exam table and the Frozen Room has a mural of various characters the kids love. There is a game called Beam that projects different games on the fl oor, so they can play hockey, soccer, football and other games interactively. The movie room theater has an 83-inch screen attached to Netfl ix Kids and the children can watch kid-friendly programs.”

The KION wellness journey begins during infancy and continues throughout childhood, adolescence, and into the beginning of young adulthood. Prior to age 21, patients are released to see a doctor for adults. “One of our goals is to ensure that there is a healthy transition from childhood to adulthood. We want to achieve a state of physical, mental and social well-being.” KION provides mental, autism and vision care, as well as hearing screenings. Dr. Kris adds, “For adolescents, we do alcohol, drug, depression and STD screenings.”

BALANCING WITH FAMILY

Dr. Kris and his wife, Raquel, who works with him at KION, have demanding schedules. To maintain balance, they arrange quality family time with their four children. “We love to travel abroad and just relax. We have been to London, Spain, France, Hawaii, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Next, we want to go to Australia and Nigeria. Also, we like to travel in the States. Some weekends we just go hang out at the movies,” he says. Their children are involved in sports, so they travel to games, too.

Optimistic about the future, Dr. Kris says he plans to expand KION Pediatrics into different cities. “What better way to change the health, mindset and well-being of a generation and a nation, than starting with our children?” He concludes, “It’s not what you leave for children, it’s what you leave in them.”

For more information, visit KIONPeds.com.