By: Christina Echegaray
Kris Rehm, MD, MMHC, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and Vice Chair in the Department of Pediatrics, has been elected a Master in Hospital Medicine by the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM), one of the organization’s highest honors
The designation recognizes physicians whose careers have been marked by outstanding leadership, service, innovation and lasting contributions to hospital medicine and health care. Masters in Hospital Medicine are selected based on the excellence and significance of their contributions to the field, including personal character, positions of honor, distinction in clinical practice, education, medical research, service to SHM and other achievements that advance the science and art of hospital medicine.
A longtime leader within SHM, Rehm made history as the first pediatrician elected as president of the society. She served a three-year term as president-elect, president and past president, culminating in her presidency in 2023. During that time, she helped guide SHM through a period of strategic renewal, playing a key role in refining the society’s mission and vision, and strengthening its commitments to exceptional care, high-value practice, clinician well-being, research and innovation
Rehm has been a member of SHM since 2009, and in 2017, served a three-year term on organization’s board of directors. Her service to the society has spanned advocacy, governance and strategic planning, helping advance the organization’s impact on hospital medicine nationwide
Arriving at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in 2005, Rehm has spent her career dedicated to pediatric hospital medicine. She became the founding director of the Division of Hospital Medicine in 2009, building the program from the ground up and establishing new standards for clinical excellence, operational effectiveness and multidisciplinary collaboration
Under her leadership, the division developed innovative approaches to care delivery, strengthened transitions of care, improved access for patients and families, enhanced quality and safety initiatives, and helped integrate pediatric care across regional networks. She served as division director until 2018
Rehm currently serves as Associate Chief Medical Officer for Children’s Services at Vanderbilt. She is also Vice Chair and Executive Medical Director of the Office of Community Child Health, a new initiative designed to expand the reach of Monroe Carell through closer collaboration with state and local leaders in children’s health care
Rehm earned her undergraduate degree from Ohio University and her medical degree from Northwestern University. She completed her residency through the Boston Combined Residency Program, where she served as chief resident. In 2019, she earned a Master of Management in Health Care from Vanderbilt University
