Dr. Pisters says returning to Canada as President & CEO of UHN is a challenge and a privilege.
I am very happy to be able to send this message and tell you that we have concluded our international search for UHN's President & CEO and that Dr. Peter Pisters will be joining us on January 1, 2015. UHN's Board of Trustees and the Selection Committee knew how important it was to find someone who understood and was committed to superb clinical care, world-class research, and a teaching environment that supports and encourages all members of UHN's community. We also know that we had to find someone who was completely committed to our efforts to have our patients know that they are partners in their care.
I speak for all members of the Board and the Selection Committee when I say that we have found that person in Peter.
Dr. Pisters is currently the Vice President, Regional Care System at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Texas. He is an internationally known academic surgical oncologist with a specialty focus in sarcoma and gastrointestinal cancers, and an Executive Fellow (2014-15) in the Baldridge Performance Excellence Program of the U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology. Dr. Pisters is a graduate of The University of Western Ontario (MD) and Harvard University School of Public Health (M.Sc. in Health Care Management). He was Chief Administrative Fellow in the early nineties at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and prior to that his internship and residency were completed at New York University Medical Center – Bellevue Hospital.
So – as you see from his medical degree, Peter is Canadian and is returning home after an extraordinary career in the U.S. I know that Peter and his family are very excited about the move that means that Peter will now lead Canada's pre-eminent research hospital. In the coming months he will be in Toronto to find a home and begin the task of getting to know UHN and all of the people that make this organization such a special place. You will find him warm, easy to talk to and committed to making this the very best place for care, while supporting our people to be the best they can be.
Justine Jackson will continue as Interim President & CEO and I know that I also speak for everyone on the Board to say that Justine is doing a wonderful job in ensuring that UHN remains stable during this period. In fact, I can say that Justine has done much more than maintain stability – she has been pushing forward on a number of fronts and I know that she will be invaluable to Peter, as will all members of the senior team.
I would like to thank all members of the Selection Committee for their commitment to this process and all members of the Board of Trustees for their support and encouragement throughout. And I would ask that every member of the UHN team join with me in congratulating Peter on his appointment and welcoming him home.
John Mulvihill
Chair of the Board of Trustees
University Health Network
