Президент онкологического центра MD Anderson уходит в отставку после девяти лет руководства

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announced Wednesday that President Dr. Peter WT Pisters is retiring after nearly a decade leading the treatment facility. In the announcement, MD Anderson said Pisters planned to retire "to focus on the next chapter of his career. The medical center said the UT System Board of Regents and Chancellor John M. Zerwas had named Dr. Jeffrey E. Lee as the interim president effective immediately. Pisters and Lee will work together on a "thoughtful transition" through the end of September, according to the medical center. "The Board of Regents and I are profoundly grateful to Dr. Pisters for his exceptional presidency over the past nine years and for thoughtfully concluding his service when UT MD Anderson is thriving at its best position of peak performance, strength and impact," Kevin P. Eltife, Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, said via a statement. "We wish him our very best with his retirement and in his next chapter." Pisters began his role as president in 2017. According to the medical center, Pisters oversaw the institution's strategic plan, created a $10 billion capital expansion plan and "achieved the strongest financial performance in [MD Anderson's] 85-year history." Five new institutes were also launched under his tenure, including: the James P. Allison Institute; the Institute for Data Science in Oncology; the Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation; the Meyers Institute for Oncology Nursing; and the Leadership Institute. In a statement, Pisters said MD Anderson "has never been stronger." "I can say with great pride and gratitude that there is no better place than UT MD Anderson to turn hope into healing for patients and families everywhere," Pisters said. "With a timeless strategy, a strong leadership team, unprecedented levels of financial health, and a priceless culture anchored in our deeply held Core Values, now is the right time for me to transition to other opportunities." Pisters’ replacement, Dr. Lee, is currently the executive vice president, chief physician executive and chief cancer network officer at MD Anderson, where he’s worked for 35 years as a surgical oncologist. “Continuing Dr. Pisters' exceptional legacy of leadership at this institution, where I have spent my entire career, will be among the greatest honors of my professional life,” Lee said in a press release. “Together, we have accomplished so much, particularly during the past nine years, and our work is far from finished. I look forward to partnering with UT System and Dr. Pisters during this transition, and to collaborating with our many colleagues and supporters as we continue to advance our mission to end cancer."