Redonda Miller, M.D., M.B.A. Credit: Keith Weller/Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins Hospital is making history today with the announcement of its new president, Redonda Miller, M.D., M.B.A., the first female in this role since the hospital was founded in 1889. She will assume the role on July 1.

Johns Hopkins employees learned of Miller’s appointment today in a note from Ronald R. Peterson, who has held the title of president of the The Johns Hopkins Hospital for 19 years.

Peterson and Paul Rothman, dean of the medical faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, co-chaired the search committee for the new president.

“Redonda’s extraordinary combination of exceptional medical prowess, years of progressive administrative experience, and the well-earned respect of senior clinical and administrative leadership will serve us all well,” Peterson wrote. “Her deep understanding and appreciation of The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s culture and her working knowledge of the Maryland financial rate-setting system make her extremely well suited to lead at this time in our history.”

Peterson announced to employees in January that he would relinquish his role as president and maintain his titles as president of the health system and executive vice president of Johns Hopkins Medicine.

“Over the next few years,” he wrote to employees today, “we contemplate the need for the next president to oversee significant patient care redesign within the hospital and our outpatient clinics, and the introduction of precision medicine centers of excellence, for which the hospital will serve as the living laboratory.”

With more than 20 years of service at Johns Hopkins, Miller most recently served as the senior vice president of medical affairs for the Johns Hopkins Health System and vice president of medical affairs for The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

In the latter role, she was responsible for medical staff administration, pharmacy, health information management, hospital epidemiology and infection control, spiritual care and chaplaincy, and patient safety.

Miller first came to Johns Hopkins as a medical student and completed her internship and residency in internal medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. She served as an assistant chief of service in 1996 and the following year joined the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine faculty as an assistant professor of medicine. She began distinguishing herself as a collaborator, with great success in developing councils and committees as an effective way to bring people and ideas together, particularly to address challenges and solve problems. In 2004, she earned her M.B.A. from the Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School. In 2006, she was promoted to associate professor.

During her tenure, Miller served in a number of positions, including as associate program director of the Osler Residency Program, assistant dean for student affairs for the school of medicine and vice chair of clinical operations for the Department of Medicine.

Miller co-chairs Johns Hopkins Medicine’s United Way Committee and the Maryland Hospital Association’s Council on Clinical and Quality Issues. She has served on dozens of administrative, medical education, system innovation and quality improvement councils and committees at Johns Hopkins and is a member of several professional boards.

A passionate advocate for women’s health, she has also been a featured speaker at conferences and grand rounds around the country.

Miller, 49, is married to physician Albert Polito, a pulmonologist who directs the Lung Center at Mercy Medical Center. They have two daughters: Francesca, 11, a fifth grade student; and Bianca, 7, a first grade student.