This press release contains dated information and should be used for background only.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Incoming president and chief executive officer of The University of Kansas Hospital, Bob Page, announced today that Tammy Peterman, RN, MS, will be the new chief operating officer of the hospital, effective immediately.
Peterman is currently chief nursing officer and senior vice president for patient care services. Peterman will succeed Page in the chief operating officer position after he moves up to the top spot in the organization on July 1, 2007, succeeding Irene Cumming.
Peterman will remain chief nursing officer and also carry the title of executive vice president. Senior nursing director Chris Ruder, RN, MS, will be promoted to vice president of patient care services as part of the new organizational structure and will report to Peterman.
“Tammy Peterman has been at the forefront of the dramatic turnaround in the quality of patient care since she was named chief nursing officer in 2001. She helped establish a patient-centered culture within the Department of Nursing, as evidenced by the highest patient satisfaction scores among area hospitals,” said Page.
Peterman has been with the hospital since her graduation from the University of Kansas School of Nursing in 1981 and has moved through the ranks, having started as a staff nurse in critical care. In addition to a master’s degree in nursing, Peterman also holds a certification in advanced nursing administration.
“A focus on the patient must go beyond the nurse to every aspect of hospital operations. We have achieved that as part of our dramatic turnaround,” Peterman said. “But, we must take our efforts to the next level to make even more progress toward our goal of being the best hospital in the country.”
Peterman serves in various nursing organizations both locally and nationally, including being president of the Kansas City Area Nurse Executives. She has led or co-led several major hospital initiatives, such as the 100,000 Lives Campaign and the effort to attain Magnet designation for the hospital. She was also named the 2006 Distinguished Nursing Alumna by the Kansas University Nurses Alumni Association.
Ruder earned his BSN degree from the University of Kansas School of Nursing in 1993 and his masters in 1999. He received the 2005 Early Career Achievement Award from the Kansas University Nurses Alumni Association, as was selected as on of Ingram’s magazine’s “Heroes of Healthcare” in 2006.
Page also announced that chief financial officer Scott Glasrud would become an executive vice president as part of the hospital’s new leadership structure.