Longtime physician leader heads west for CMO job
Peter Hession, MD, arrived at Saint Joseph in 2011 to complete two months of his fellowship in Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology and he never left. Until now.
After more than a decade of partnership and leadership and wide admiration for his clinical excellence in the care of countless surgery patients, Hession is moving to Bend, Ore., to become the next chief medical officer for 274-bed St. Charles Medical Center, with care sites in Bend and Redmond. His last day at Saint Joseph will be in late June.
“I was not looking for a new job; I’ve always deeply loved and enjoyed my time here at Saint Joseph and I could have stayed forever,” said Hession. “But this opportunity to expand professionally comes at the right time – and in the right place – for me and my family.”
Hession and his wife, Leigha, both grew up in the northwest and they travel to Bend often with their two young children to vacation with his parents, who still live in the area. Leigha is excited to move closer to home, and the idea of “living where we vacation,” close to the grandparents, was a big selling point for his delighted six-year-old daughter.
And he’ll still be able to provide bedside care in his new role, which was a big selling point for him.
“I’m still going to be in the thick of it, working clinically in the OR and at the bedside, which is what drew me to the role,” he said. “I’ll continue doing the work that has always been my privilege – one-on-one with patients as their doctor – while having the opportunity to influence and impact the care of thousands of patients across a broader patient population.”
For the last eight years at Saint Joseph, Hession has served as the medical director of Perioperative Services and has developed and led numerous initiatives that accomplish just that, within the OR – influencing and impacting the care of thousands of patients. It might seem unfair to ask him to pick his proudest achievement, but he’s quick with his answer.
“The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery project. Best-practice surgical care starts well before the procedure and extends well after. Our physicians embraced this effort, coordinated across disciplines and made so many improvements to the preparation, care and recovery of surgery patients. We took a project and made it a culture. It’s been a tremendous success for our patients and everyone involved.”
In addition to his role as medical director, he’s also served as Surgical Services vice chair, Anesthesia vice chair and MEC member at-large. He won the Physician of the Year Award in 2021. His legacy of leadership will be felt long after he leaves.
“Peter has been a great partner to Saint Joseph and to me personally in leading quality and safety initiatives in our Perioperative areas,” said John Tynes, MD, Saint Joseph chief medical officer. “His calm and compassionate leadership has been a big part of our success in achieving our excellent surgical outcomes and in caring for our community. He was especially critical during the height of the COVID pandemic and helped the hospital to weather the storm through unprecedented challenges, while still providing the highest level of medical care.”
In his last weeks at Saint Joseph, Hession will work with Sheri Swenning, senior director of nursing in Perioperative Services, on a smooth transition to the next medical director – Thomas Griffiths, MD. He also plans to share his deep gratitude with the partners and mentors he credits for his growth and success, including Swenning, Tynes, Jamie Smith, Dr. Adam Koszowski, Dr. Craig Simmonds, Holly Church, and all the nursing leaders, managers, providers and support staff in Perioperative Services.
“It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to work at Saint Joseph. I’m honored to be part of this community.”
Physicians can reach out to Hession with words of good luck and appreciation at peter.hession@imail2.org.