Medical Matters Weekly Welcomes Director of Institute of Digital Media and Child Development

BENNINGTON, VT—August 9, 2022—Kris Perry is a social worker, a child advocate, the director of the Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, and the next  guest on Medical Matters Weekly at 12 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17.

The show is produced by Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) with cooperation from Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV). Viewers can view on facebook.com/svmedicalcenter and facebook.com/CATTVBennington. The show is also available to view or download as a podcast on svhealthcare.org/medicalmatters.

Perry holds a bachelor’s in sociology and psychology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a master’s in social work from San Francisco State University. She made her career as a child advocate within several organizations starting with the Alameda County Social Services Agency, where she worked in child protective services. She pivoted to leading systems change as executive director of First Five San Mateo and later as executive director of First Five in California and nationally in Washington, D.C. She served as president of Save the Children Action Network.

Perry returned to California to serve as senior advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom and as Deputy Secretary of California Health and Human Services Agency. There she led the development of the California Master Plan for Early Learning and Care and was instrumental in the expansion of access to high-quality early childhood programs. In her current role as director of the Institute of Digital Media and Child Development, she works to fund and disseminate scientific research focused on the impact of digital media on child development and the translation of those findings into programs and policies that promote child wellness.

Medical Matters Weekly features the innovative personalities who drive positive change within health care and related professions. The show addresses all aspects of creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for all, including food and nutrition, housing, diversity and inclusion, groundbreaking medical care, exercise, mental health, the environment, research, and government. The show is broadcast on Facebook Live, YouTube, and all podcast platforms.

After the program, the video is available on area public access television stations CAT-TV (Comcast channel 1075) and GNAT-TV's (Comcast channel 1074), as well as on public access stations throughout the United States.
 
About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, healthcare system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care is among the most lauded small rural health systems in the nation. It is the recipient of the American Hospital Association’s 2020 Rural Hospital Leadership Award. In addition, SVMC ranked fourth nationwide for the value of care it provides by the Lown Institute Hospital Index in 2020 and is a five-time recipient of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. The health system is fortunate to have the support of platinum-level corporate sponsor Mack, a leading supplier of contract manufacturing services and injection molded plastic parts based in Arlington, VT.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center provides exceptional care without discriminating on the basis of an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.