WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 24, 2018) – The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that a 2018 Award of Honor will be awarded to Ronald R. Peterson, president emeritus of the Johns Hopkins Health System and special advisor to the dean/ chief executive officer (CEO) of Johns Hopkins Medicine. The award, presented on May 7 at the AHA’s Annual Meeting, is given to individuals or organizations in recognition of exemplary contributions to the health and well-being of our nation through leadership on major health policy or social initiatives.
Peterson has more than 40 years in health care management, but it is his contributions to the region’s workforce and economic development that has made him a model in the health care sector. Peterson is a proactive leader who has been able to bridge health care and workforce issues— leading a coalition of Baltimore-area hospitals in establishing an inner city employment program, launching economic growth initiatives (increased transactions with local suppliers), leading a task force to develop The Access Partnership for uninsured and underinsured residents of the East Baltimore community, and serving as a longstanding advocate for employment opportunities for ex-offenders.
“While Ron’s years of experience have been a tremendous asset to the region’s economy and health systems, he has always demonstrated that his first priority is the diverse patients that Hopkins serves day in and day out,” said Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association. “Thanks to his leadership, health care leaders are challenged to think about ways to strengthen local and regional economies, to help the families and communities they care for.”
A 1970 graduate of The Johns Hopkins University, Peterson also holds a master’s degree in hospital administration from The George Washington University. He began his Johns Hopkins career in 1973 as an administrative resident at The Johns Hopkins Hospital and retired in December of 2017 with 44 years of service at Johns Hopkins.
In his diverse leadership positions, Peterson provided executive oversight for the health system’s six hospitals as well as several affiliate entities. In addition, Peterson has been engaged in the communities in which he has lived and worked. He has served on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake, the Maryland Hospital Association Executive Committee, the board of governors of the University HealthSystem Consortium and the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare’s Leadership Advisory Council. He currently chairs the board of Living Classrooms Foundation in Baltimore, and serves as vice chair of the Maryland Governor’s Workforce Development Board.
Previous Award of Honor winners include organizations such as the Kaiser Family Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Ohio Hospital Association’s Energy and Sustainability Program, Reach Out and Read, Ronald McDonald House Charities®, the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices and Habitat for Humanity. Individuals such as Spencer Johnson, past president of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association in Okemos, Mich.; Rhonda Anderson, R.N., DNSc, chief executive officer, Cardon Children’s Medical Center; George Halvorson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente; and Donald M. Berwick, M.D., former administrator of the Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and former president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement have also been honored.
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Contact:
Arika Trim - (202) 626-2319
Marie Johnson - (202) 626-2351
About the AHA
The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which include nearly 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 43,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.
