After a Decade, It’s ‘the Right Time’

Published in Hopkins Medicine - Spring/Summer 2022

In March, Paul B. Rothman announced his plan to retire from his position as dean of the medical faculty for the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, effective July 1.

Theodore DeWeese, vice dean for clinical affairs and president of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Practice Association, has agreed to serve as interim dean and CEO.

“I have long envisioned myself as a ten-year dean/CEO,” Rothman wrote in a message to the JHM community. “A decade felt like the right time horizon to help advance the missions of JHM. That vision was crystallized by the COVID-19 pandemic, which demanded so much of our institution and our community. Two years later, I believe that we have navigated the worst of the pandemic, and it is time for a new leader to guide us forward.”

Rothman’s retirement caps more than a decade of exceptional service to the Johns Hopkins Medicine community.

“A consummate clinician-scientist who brings passion and humanity to all he does, Paul has led Johns Hopkins Medicine through a remarkable decade as it continued its preeminence in education, discovery and patient care, and served as the world’s most trusted provider of scientific knowledge and health care during the COVID pandemic,” said Ronald Daniels, president of The Johns Hopkins University.

During Rothman’s tenure, Johns Hopkins Medicine made important investments in the Johns Hopkins community, including adding the Office of Well-Being and what is now the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity, and establishing a clinical promotion track to celebrate the clinical excellence of Johns Hopkins faculty along with annual clinical awards to recognize outstanding providers.

He also led a massive investment in digital infrastructure, enabling Johns Hopkins to lead the way into the era of big data medicine and precision medicine. And he oversaw the development of physical infrastructure to support the academic health center of the future with the opening of new clinical buildings at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Sibley Memorial Hospital and Suburban Hospital; the addition of Greenspring Station Pavilion 3; and the development of new research facilities in East Baltimore.

“Dr. Rothman has been central to furthering JHM’s reputation as a peerless academic medical center that delivers exceptional medical education, high-quality care and esteemed clinical research,” said chairman of the Johns Hopkins Medicine board of trustees Bill Conway.