Dr. Peterson to retire as Millinocket hospital CEO

MILLINOCKET — Millinocket Regional Hospital announced that Chief Executive Officer Dr. Robert Peterson, a resident of Dover-Foxcroft, will be retiring on July 1. Peterson has led the hospital since 2014, following a successful tenure in administration at Eastern Maine Medical Center and Windham Hospital in Connecticut.

Throughout his 12 years of service, Peterson has remained steadfast in the belief that where a person lives should never dictate their access to life-saving care. Because the timing of care directly correlates with medical outcomes, the hospital has worked tirelessly to ensure crucial treatment is minutes away rather than miles. In a medical crisis, local access to care is often the difference between full recovery and lasting, life-altering consequences.

Fulfilling this mission in a challenging rural healthcare landscape required a strategy of expansion rather than the service cuts that often signal the decline of local care. Under Peterson’s leadership, MRH leaned into a growth model rooted in the specific needs of the community, ensuring the hospital remained a viable, independent cornerstone of healthcare in the Katahdin region. The hospital remains firmly committed to its independence, a strategy Peterson views as essential to local care.

“By remaining independent from a larger hospital system, we can decide for ourselves what is right for our rural communities and maintain control of our own destiny,” he said. He noted this collective effort to maintain local governance has protected more than 200 local jobs and proved that financial stability can be achieved by investing in clinical capabilities rather than reducing them.

When reflecting on his time at MRH, Peterson was quick to credit the people he led.

“It has been my distinct honor to  serve MRH over the past 12 years. I have had the good fortune of working with an incredible staff throughout my  time here,” he said. “Not only am I surrounded by amazingly talented professionals, but they are genuinely nice people who take exceptional care of their patients. Each patient is treated like family and afforded utmost respect and empathy.” 

Peterson’s legacy is further marked by the significant modernization of the hospital’s campus, including the renovation of the cancer care and infusion center and the major expansion of the emergency department, the latter of which is set  to open later this spring. These facility upgrades provide the specialized space and technology required to deliver critical care right here in the Katahdin region. To support growth and ensure high-quality care remains available for future generations, Peterson also drove the establishment of the Legacy Medical Foundation, strengthening the hospital’s long-term sustainability through philanthropy. 

“I could not have asked for a better environment or a better group of people to work with,” Peterson said. “My thanks  and appreciation to each and every MRH staff member for making my last career assignment so enjoyable.” He continued, “Work doesn’t feel like work when you are fortunate enough to come to a place like this every day.”  

Looking toward the future Peterson added, “Old administrators do fade away, and that’s a good thing! It’s the next generation’s time and I wish them nothing but success.” 

In addition to his leadership at MRH, Peterson served on the board of directors for the  Millinocket Memorial Library during its critical revitalization and expansion. He also currently serves on the board of directors of the Maine Hospital Association and the Community Care Partnership of Maine, an accountable care organization.

A nationwide search for Peterson’s successor was conducted and has recently concluded. A final selection has been made, and an official announcement is expected in the coming weeks.