Thomas Peterson, M.D., F.A.A.P., formerly worked in Denver, Grand Rapids
The former vice president and chief safety officer at SCL Health System in Denver, Colo., joins Munson Healthcare today as vice president of Quality and Safety.
Thomas H. Peterson, M.D., F.A.A.P., also brings experience as the former executive director for Safety, Quality, and Community Health at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
“We are very pleased to welcome Tom to the Munson Healthcare leadership team in this new position,” said Christine Nefcy, M.D., F.A.A.P., chief medical officer at Munson Healthcare. “He offers a lot of experience and expertise to help us further our quality efforts throughout our health care system.”
As vice president of Quality and Safety, Dr. Peterson will be responsible for helping ensure Munson Healthcare hospitals continue to develop and maintain a highly reliable and safe culture for patients and staff.
Dr. Peterson, a pediatrician, said early in his career he understood what interested him most was having the potential to affect the health status of populations of children and adults. He also early on became involved in quality work with a passion for continually improving processes. He looks forward to working in northern Michigan.
“I wanted to be part of an excellent health care system, as Munson Healthcare is, that has true commitments to patient and employee safety, as well as the highest quality of care,” he said. “The opportunity to help develop a new position in the area of safety and quality in a growing health system is a unique opportunity.”
Dr. Peterson is a fellow with the American Academy of Pediatrics and has memberships in several other national organizations including the National Patient Safety Foundation, American Society of Healthcare and Risk Management, and American College of Physician Executives.
He has published research related to safety and developed training courses that have been offered statewide in Michigan and Colorado for advanced training in high reliability concepts and patient safety science.
“I began my safety work 10 years ago building a safety program at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital,” he said. “I found it fascinating how many non-health care organizations of all types could create ultra-safe, high reliability systems of excellence using basically the same, simple methods, regardless of the type of company. I still believe these concepts should be transferrable to the American health system.”
A native of Michigan, Dr. Peterson continues to follow the Michigan State Spartans having lettered on the football team in the mid-70s and is a fan of the Detroit Redwings. He and his family also enjoy the many outdoor opportunities of the region such as water skiing, biking, hiking and camping.
“We have always loved the northwest part of the state, and I feel very fortunate to be back here,” he said.