St. Petersburg, Fla. – February 8, 2019 – Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital today announced that Tom Kmetz will join as interim president beginning February 18, 2019. Kmetz has a long and distinguished career in healthcare, most recently serving as the division president of Women’s and Children’s Services at Norton Healthcare, a leading hospital system in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also served for nearly ten years as president of Norton Children’s Hospital.
“Tom is well-known as a collaborative, inclusive leader and has decades of experience at the helm of hospitals dedicated to the care of children,” said Kevin W. Sowers, M.S.N., R.N., F.A.A.N., president of Johns Hopkins Health System and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine in a note to hospital employees today. “Most importantly, Tom is deeply committed to supporting a culture where patient safety is the priority and excellence of care is a shared mission. He also understands the critically important role that children’s hospitals play in the life of their communities.”
Kmetz said of the appointment, “I feel tremendously privileged to have a role in helping this beloved hospital move forward into its next chapter. I will be deeply committed to supporting a culture where patient safety continues to be the top priority, where each member of the All Children’s community feels empowered and encouraged to speak up and speak out, and where the excellence of care is a shared mission.”
This announcement is part of a process Sowers shared with the staff and community when he took on the role temporarily after leadership changes were made at the hospital on December 11, 2018. As president of the Johns Hopkins Health System, Sowers will remain actively involved with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He will be onsite frequently and work closely with the hospital Board to help lead a national search for a permanent president of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
In addition to his leadership role at Norton Healthcare, Kmetz has also served in senior leadership positions on the boards of the Children’s Hospital Association, the Child Health Patient Safety Organization and the American Heart Association, among others.
About Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg is a leader in children’s health care, combining a legacy of compassionate care focused solely on children since 1926 with the innovation and experience of one of the world’s leading health care systems. The 259-bed teaching hospital, ranked as a U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospital, stands at the forefront of discovery, leading innovative research to cure and prevent childhood diseases while training the next generation of pediatric experts. With a network of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Outpatient Care centers and collaborative care provided by All Children’s Specialty Physicians at regional hospitals, Johns Hopkins All Children’s brings care closer to home. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital consistently keeps the patient and family at the center of care while continuing to expand its mission in treatment, research, education and advocacy. For more information, visit HopkinsAllChildrens.org.