MD Anderson Board of Visitors, Bush family and others celebrated in new installations
Winter 2018 : A new era begins at MD Anderson
A new era begins at MD Anderson
Pisters vows to 'listen and learn' as president of the cancer center
Pisters marks the beginning of his first week back at MD Anderson Cancer Center by attending employee orientation, inspiring colleagues to advance MD Anderson's mission to end cancer. Photo by Adolfo Chavez III.
Peter WT Pisters, M.D., has returned to MD Anderson Cancer Center as its fifth full-time president. Unanimously selected by the UT System Board of Regents in September, Pisters began his official duties on Dec. 1.
"I am beyond thrilled to return to MD Anderson Cancer Center as its new president. It's an honor of a lifetime," says Pisters, who held MD Anderson faculty and leadership roles for more than 20 years before becoming president and chief executive officer of the University Health Network (UHN), affiliated with the University of Toronto, in January 2015.
During his first few months as president, Pisters has embarked on a listening and learning tour across MD Anderson to include the mission areas of patient care, research, education and prevention and to engage all stakeholders.
"I'm confident we'll continue building on our successes while also forging a new path forward in the fight to end cancer," he says.
Pisters makes a stop at the School of Health Professions at MD Anderson, fulfilling his promise to listen and learn through interactions with employees, faculty and students across the institution. Photo by Adolfo Chavez III.
Pisters oversaw more than 14,000 employees and a $400 million research enterprise at UHN. Previously, he was vice president for MD Anderson's regional care system, comprising multiple Houston-area locations.
Following a surgery instructor position at Memorial Sloan Kettering, Pisters initially joined MD Anderson's faculty in 1994 as assistant professor of Surgery, rising to full professor with tenure in 2004. Specializing in sarcoma and gastrointestinal cancer, he has served as clinical consultant for the Center for Global Oncology (now MD Anderson's Cancer Network®), section chief for Sarcoma Surgey and assistant medical director of the Sarcoma Center. He remains a board-certified surgeon. He also holds a master's degree in health care management from Harvard University.
"Dr. Pisters has devoted most of his professional life to the care of patients at MD Anderson, and he gained invaluable experience in Toronto leading one of the most respected academic health centers in North America," says Ray Greenberg, M.D., Ph.D., executive vice chancellor for health affairs, UT System. "This combination of his clinical expertise, institutional knowledge and servant leadership makes Dr. Pisters the ideal person to take MD Anderson to the next level."
On night rounds during his first full week at MD Anderson, Pisters meets with an Acute Palliative Care team and others across the institution who ensure patients receive quality care from dusk to dawn. Photo by Adolfo Chavez III.
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