Announcing the Departure of George Dover as Pediatrician-in-Chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital

To the Johns Hopkins Medicine community

Dear Colleagues:

One of the great benefits of working at Johns Hopkins is having colleagues whose achievements touch patients across the globe. It is with bittersweet sentiments that we announce the departure of George Dover as Given Foundation Professor of Pediatrics, director of the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, pediatrician-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

George's career in pediatrics and hematology spans almost five decades. After graduating from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine, he enrolled in the Harriet Lane Pediatric Residency Program and completed a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at Johns Hopkins. He joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1977 as an instructor and research associate at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for Human Biochemical Genetics. In 1988, he rose to professor of pediatrics.

George has inspired students and residents to achieve their fullest potential. Senior medical residents selected him to receive the George J. Stuart Award for outstanding clinical teaching, and pediatric residents presented him with the Alexander "Buck" Schaffer Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Teaching of House Officers in the Department of Pediatrics. He has also authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications and more than 26 book chapters in the fields of pediatric hematology and genetics.

His consistent R01-level National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding for 20 years and his expansion of services to children with sickle cell disease earned him his appointment as director of the Division of Pediatric Hematology at Johns Hopkins, a role in which he served from 1990 to 1996. One of his most notable achievements is being part of the team of physicians responsible for developing the FDA-approved therapy for sickle cell disease with hydroxyurea. Today, it is still the most effective therapy for adults and children with sickle cell disease.

Known as a stellar researcher and a dynamic leader with a passion for caring for children and their families, George was appointed director of the Department of Pediatrics and pediatrician-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1996. Under his tenure, funding from NIH tripled, and Johns Hopkins’ pediatrics treatment expanded into a network of clinics and hospitals in and outside the state. He played an instrumental role in the development and design of both the David Rubenstein Child Health Building and The Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center.

We appreciate the many leadership roles he has assumed during his tenure, including chair of The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Medical Board from 2008 to 2011, founding member of the board of the Johns Hopkins Clinical Practice Association, member of the Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences’ advisory council, director of NIH’s Child Health Research Career Development Award, interim co-director of the Medical Genetics Institute and participation on numerous search committees for directors of departments in the school of medicine.

George's legacy and extraordinary history at Johns Hopkins were recognized at a portrait dedication ceremony on May 13 at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he was honored by his colleagues and the numerous staff members he mentored and greatly impacted throughout his career.

George will step down as director and pediatrician-in-chief on June 30. He will spend a one-year sabbatical in St. Petersburg, Florida, at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, where he will serve in an advisory role teaching residents, advising institute directors on implementation of strategic plans, mentoring junior and midcareer faculty members, and consulting on precision medicine research investment.

Please join us in recognizing George's immeasurable contributions to the field of pediatrics and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Sincerely,

Paul B. Rothman, M.D.
Dean of the Medical Faculty
CEO, Johns Hopkins Medicine

Ronald R. Peterson
President
The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Health System
EVP, Johns Hopkins Medicine