Jeffrey H. Peters, MD, named Chief Operating Officer for University Hospitals

CLEVELAND, Jan. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Following an extensive national search, Jeffrey H. Peters, MD, has been named Chief Operating Officer for University Hospitals (UH) in Cleveland, OH. An accomplished surgeon, researcher and health care executive, Dr. Peters will begin transitioning into his role in early January and join UH full time by March 31.

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"Dr. Peters' impressive accomplishments and collaborative leadership style will advance our academic mission: To Heal. To Teach. To Discover and help us achieve our strategic goals," says Thomas F. Zenty III, CEO, UH. "He brings a renewed commitment to drive clinical-care enhancements across our health system by improving quality, clinical outcomes and experiences for patients, their families and the communities we are privileged to serve."

In his role, Dr. Peters will oversee the health system's operations and clinical program development. He will advance UH's mission by further integrating teaching and research into clinical operations and strengthening professional relationships between UH and the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He will expand translational research with the Office of Technology Transfer, which is shared between UH and the School of Medicine.

"University Hospitals is a nationally recognized health system which is in an exciting phase of growth and programmatic development," says Dr. Peters. "I look forward to working with the dedicated physicians and employees at University Hospitals to provide the highest quality health care to the communities it serves."

Dr. Peters comes to UH from Strong Memorial Hospital and the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, where he served as chair of the department of surgery since 2004. Additional leadership experience includes serving as surgeon-in-chief and chairman of numerous executive committees at Strong Memorial Hospital, and as chief of the division of general surgery at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Peters is an internationally recognized expert in esophageal surgery and a pioneer in minimally invasive surgical techniques. His research interests include the development of cancer in patients with Barrett's esophagus and cellular mutations. Dr. Peters is active in numerous local, national and international professional organizations. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and American College of Gastroenterology. He has served as president of the Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopic Surgeons and as associate editor of the Annals of Surgery.

Dr. Peters earned his MD at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and completed his surgical residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He completed a post-doctoral laboratory fellowship in immunology at Johns Hopkins University and a clinical esophageal fellowship at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Neb.

About University Hospitals
University Hospitals, the second largest employer in Northeast Ohio, serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of hospitals, outpatient centers and primary care physicians in 16 counties. At the core of our health system is University Hospitals Case Medical Center, one of only 18 hospitals in the country to have been named to U.S. News & World Report's most exclusive rankings list: the Best Hospitals 2013-14 Honor Roll. The primary affiliate of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, UH Case Medical Center is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research centers of excellence in the nation and the world, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopaedics and spine, radiology and radiation oncology, neurosurgery and neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, organ transplantation and human genetics. Its main campus includes the internationally celebrated UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center at Case Western Reserve University. UH Case Medical Center is the 2012 recipient of the American Hospital Association – McKesson Quest for Quality Prize for its leadership and innovation in quality improvement and safety. For more information, go to www.uhhospitals.org

SOURCE University Hospitals