Skip to main content

Johns Hopkins Health System Pulls New President From Duke University Hospital

News  |  By Steven Porter  
   December 11, 2017

Kevin W. Sowers, who has helmed Duke University Hospital eight years, is set to take over at Johns Hopkins Health System early next year.

Johns Hopkins Health System in Baltimore announced Monday that a new president has been selected to take over after longtime leader Ronald R. Peterson retires.

Kevin W. Sowers, MSN, RN, FAAN, who has been serving as Duke University Hospital’s president and CEO for the past eight years, will begin his new job with Johns Hopkins on February 1, making him the second person to serve as the system’s president.

Related: Clinicians In The C-Suite

Sowers was tapped for the job on account of his demonstrated ability to lead in complex and evolving healthcare environments, said John Hopkins University President Ronald J. Daniels during a press conference.

"Navigating an ever-changing healthcare landscape and caring for patients and communities in the 21st Century demands a rare combination of strategic planning and the ability to expect—and respond to—the unexpected," Daniels said. "Kevin has proven himself to be that rare leader, as he is someone who can see the future, then put in place the programs, practices, and partnerships necessary to get there."

While Sowers was in Baltimore for the news conference Monday, his current staff learned of his forthcoming departure in an email from Duke University Health System CEO A. Eugene Washington, as the independent Duke news organization The Chronicle reported.

Washington reportedly made the announcement with “mixed emotions,” noting that Sowers has been “an integral part of the cultural fabric” at Duke.

Sowers, who will also serve as executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine, has been working for Duke since 1985, when he started out as a staff nurse in oncology. He has since held several faculty positions, served as an international consultant, and established an academic department dedicated to oncology nursing.

Before his time as Duke University Hospital’s president and CEO, Sowers had been its COO and the interim CEO for Durham Regional Hospital, among other senior administrative roles—all of which indicate Sowers will succeed at Johns Hopkins, Peterson said of his successor.

"The combination of Kevin's clinical background, business acumen, and sensitivity to the human condition within the context of an academic medical system bodes well for the future of Johns Hopkins Health System and Johns Hopkins Medicine,” Peterson said.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story misstated one of the titles Sowers will hold with Johns Hopkins. The correct titles are president of the Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine. The story has been updated.

Steven Porter is an associate content manager and Strategy editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.


Get the latest on healthcare leadership in your inbox.