Managing Healthcare Providers' Mental and Physical Wellness in the Time of COVID-19

Christa Schorr, DNP, MSN, RN, RCCM, NEA-BC, is a Clinical Nurse Scientist at Cooper University Hospital and a Professor of Medicine at Cooper Medical School at Rowan University.  During her 30+ years in nursing, she has practiced clinically, directed critical care quality improvement and clinical research, and served as the Program Manager for a North American sepsis clinical trial. Dr. Schorr received her Diploma in Nursing from Helene Fuld School of Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Thomas Jefferson University, and her Masters of Science in Nursing and Doctorate of Nursing Practice degrees from Drexel University. 

Dr. Schorr has lectured nationally and internationally and has authored or co-authored over 90 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She served as national faculty for the Phase III and IV Society of Critical Care Medicine Surviving Sepsis Campaign (SSC) Collaboratives and three statewide collaboratives and is a co-investigator for the NHLBI-sponsored Assessment of Implementation Methods in Sepsis and Respiratory Failure (AIMS) trial. 

Dr. Schorr is a member of the SSC Steering Committee and was the 2021 SSC Guidelines Committee Group Head for the long-term outcomes and goals of care section. In 2021, Dr. Schorr received the prestigious Asmund S. Laerdal Memorial Award in conjunction with the 50th annual Critical Care Congress.  She stresses the importance of early sepsis identification, and the significance of patient and family engagement in her work. 

Dr. Gilrain serves as the Director of Behavioral Medicine at Cooper University Hospital. Her undergraduate is in Psychology from Hunter College – CUNY on the Upper East Side in Manhattan. She remained there for her Master’s degree focusing on eating behaviors and diversity. She took time off from academics to explore careers in medicine and psychology working at the American Red Cross, Helene Fuld Medical Center and Princeton University Wellness Center. She opted to return to graduate school at Drexel University pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a focus in Health Psychology.

She has worked in Health Psychology for the past 15 years within the following areas: somatic/conversion disorders, in particular PNES at Jefferson University Hospital, Temple’s cardiac transplant unit and burn unit and at Pennsylvania Hospital in the Consultation-Liaison Service. She has completed training and evaluations at various neuropsychology clinics in the Philadelphia area focused on both health and forensic concerns. Her interests lie in chronic medical issues, end of life concerns, death and dying, trauma, behavioral medicine program development and provider wellness.

She has taught Psychology and Humanities courses in college and universities in the NY and Philadelphia area over the past 24 years. She holds Academic Professorships at Cooper Medical School at Rowan University (CMSRU) as well as Rowan University.

She has been with Cooper since 2010 and developed and implemented the Consultation-Liaison Service within the Medical Hospital under the Department of Hospital Medicine. She has supervised psychology externs since 2010 and has presented at national conferences with Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) discussing ways to further Health Psychology programs and training in Academic Medical Centers. She and her team have a robust externship program and are in process of seeking an APA Accredited Psychology Internship program as well.