Mary Romano, MD, MPH, with support from her husband, Michael Clifford, accepts the 2026 Patient Family Choice Award for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. From left: Juan Salazar, MD, MPH, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, Romano, Clifford, S. Todd Callahan, MD, MPH, Director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Health, and Gretchen McCullough, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Monroe Carell. (photo by Donn Jones)
For as long as she can remember, Mary Romano, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Health, knew she wanted to practice medicine and become a pediatrician.
Growing up on Long Island, New York, as the eldest of four daughters, Romano learned early the importance of caring for others. Her gift for connecting with people, along with an inherent sense of compassion and kindness, led to a lifelong calling: to support, listen to and advocate for adolescents when they need it most.
“Adolescents can see through your nonsense pretty quickly,” said Romano, who joined Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in 2007. “I think if adolescents know that you are in their corner and really rooting for them, they will come back to see you.”
Romano regularly has tough conversations with teens about risky behaviors, overall well-being and making healthy choices. As it turns out, guiding teenagers and speaking with them, even when they push back, can be a powerful prescription for success.
That commitment recently earned Romano the 2026 Patient and Family Choice Award for Monroe Carell.
Nominations are submitted by patients and families. The award honors employees from across Vanderbilt Health who act with compassion and excellence to provide an exceptional experience for patients and their families. This year, Vanderbilt Health’s patient and family advisory councils bestowed awards on six individuals from Vanderbilt University Hospital, Monroe Carell, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, Vanderbilt Adult Ambulatory Clinics, Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital and Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital.
A patient who nominated Romano described her as a consistent source of support during some of life’s most challenging transitions, including a struggle with an eating disorder.
“I was reluctant to seek treatment, and ignored pretty much everything Dr. Romano told me,” the patient wrote. “Regardless of my obstinance, Dr. Romano has never failed to show up for me. I can count on her to speak with 100% honesty and concern for my well-being, while being compassionate in a way I have rarely experienced elsewhere in my life. Had it not been for Dr. Romano’s kindness, I would have stopped seeing a doctor altogether…”
The patient ultimately sought treatment for the disorder because of Romano, the nomination noted.
“Dr. Romano asks about my life, makes sure I have the resources I need, and genuinely wants to see me succeed … She is incredibly considerate, hilarious, honest, and a light in the lives of her patients. She encouraged me to seek treatment and has supported me through recovery. I wake up every single day thankful that Dr. Romano is my PCP.”
Romano said she knew she had been nominated but never truly believed she would win. So, she was unsuspecting when her division director called an early morning team meeting. The guise of the meeting: Department of Pediatrics Chair Juan Salazar, MD, MPH, was speaking to the group. But when Romano saw her husband, Michael Clifford, and sister, Susan Romano, who is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Vanderbilt Health, she realized what was happening.
“Dr. Romano is an enthusiastic advocate for adolescent health, focusing on the resilience and inner strengths of adolescents and their families,” said S. Todd Callahan, MD, MPH, Director of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Health. “She has been internationally recognized for these efforts, but an expression of gratitude from patients and families is the highest accolade for any physician. We are grateful to the Family Advisory Council for recognizing Dr. Romano, and we are proud of Dr. Romano’s commitment to advancing the health of adolescents, locally and globally.”
Romano said she was simply doing the job she loves. “I just showed compassion and support, and that’s the thing this patient took away as one of the most impactful things in life,” she said. “We all have the capacity to be empathetic and compassionate.”
She also said it’s easy to do her job surrounded by her incredible work family in the division.
“The people in my division are just amazing people,” Romano said. “You can tell they care about adolescents, and we care about each other. My job is my second family.”
At the end of the day, the team shares a commitment to caring for teens and young adults.
“One of the best parts of this award is highlighting the importance of taking good care of teenagers,” she said. “They are not big kids, and they’re not mini adults. They deserve care that is appropriate to their stage of life, because they’re the ones that are going to make our world a better place.”
