Leo Kroonen is chief of orthopaedic surgery at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego and a board-certified orthopedic surgeon with advanced training in hand and upper extremity surgery.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University and attended medical school at Hahnemann University, now part of Drexel University College of Medicine, on a United States Navy scholarship.
Dr. Kroonen completed a surgical internship and an orthopedic surgery residency at Naval Medical Center San Diego, followed by a fellowship in hand and microvascular surgery at the Philadelphia Hand Center.
He spent two years with the 1st Marine Division, including a deployment as battalion surgeon with the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, and later returned to Naval Medical Center as a staff surgeon before a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan.
He transitioned away from active military service and joined Kaiser Permanente San Diego, where he has held several key leadership roles within the department.
Dr. Kroonen has received the Our KP Leadership Award and the SCPMG San Diego Innovation Award for introducing virtual reality into minor procedures to reduce patient anxiety. He has published more than 15 scientific research articles along with several book chapters.