After more than 44 years of service to Johns Hopkins, Ronald R. Peterson has announced plans to retire as president of Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine at the end of 2017.

Peterson’s relationship with Johns Hopkins dates back 50 years to his undergraduate studies at The Johns Hopkins University. After completing his administrative residency, Peterson landed his first job as administrator in the Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry. He went on to work in a variety of staff roles before serving as administrator of the then-financially challenged Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

Over the years, he became known as a “fiscal surgeon” for his ability to manage financially challenged organizations, including the former Baltimore City Hospital, which Johns Hopkins acquired in 1984 and renamed Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Peterson served as president of that hospital. In 1995, he was chosen to be executive vice president and chief operating officer of the health system. A year later, he was officially named president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System.

Under his leadership as president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital, a role he held until July 2016, he oversaw the opening of a new comprehensive cancer center and undertook one of the most expansive private building campaigns in Maryland history, culminating in two new state-of-the-art hospital towers for adult and pediatric patients.

Throughout his career, Peterson has advanced programs that bolster research and patient care. He’s also forged community partnerships, expanding participation of local and minority-owned businesses in construction, employment opportunities and mentoring, most recently, through the launch of HopkinsLocal.

As president emeritus of the Johns Hopkins Health System, Peterson will serve for at least one year as special adviser to Paul B. Rothman, dean of the medical faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine.