Mercy Hospitals president and CEO announces his retirement
The president and CEO of Mercy Hospitals, Bruce Peters, announced his retirement Wednesday and will officially step down in January.
Peters ascended to the role in 2014 for both Mercy Southwest and Mercy Downtown, succeeding Russell Judd, now the CEO of Kern Medical. The 65-year-old oversaw the pandemic response, the opening of an inpatient oncology unit at the downtown hospital and the creation of a new patient care tower in the southwest, which is slated to break ground later this year.
“It’s been a true joy serving as the president and CEO for Mercy Hospitals Bakersfield,” said Peters, who has worked in health care for more than 45 years.
Peters started his career as a paramedic in Minnesota. Throughout his eightyear stint, he noticed ambulances lacked necessary equipment and became interested in hospital work. Peters earned an MBA in hospital administration from the University of Minnesota in 1989 and worked in Atlanta, Tennessee and New Hampshire.
“I was really drawn to the idea of doing something meaningful and helpful in health care,” Peters said.
He came to Bakersfield in 1998 and became the first CEO of Bakersfield Heart Hospital. Afterward, he transferred to Memorial. When former Mercy CEO Judd stepped down, Peters successfully applied for the position.
The pandemic lengthened his career — he wanted to retire earlier to spend time with family and travel while still young, he said. Strapped finances and a burned-out staff increased his load.
“I didn’t want to abandon a hospital in the middle of a pandemic,” Peters said. “I really thought I would see the pandemic through and then retire. It doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere anytime soon.”
Peters added he brought on psychologists with the Employee Assistance Program to the hospitals. These workers provide staff with a place where they can confide in a listening ear during stressful times. Traditionally, workplaces do not bring these workers on site, but he sought to ameliorate the burden on staff.
“I worry about our staff a lot,” Peters said. “They have just done heroic work.”
He looks forward to welcoming his granddaughter in January. As a flying aficionado, Peters builds his own airplanes, which he plans to use when traveling.