ESCANABA -- After nearly nine years with the hospital the CEO and president of OSF St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group will be retiring from OSF Healthcare System on April 30, 2013.

Peter Jennings says some of the highlights of his tenure include the approval for conversion to critical access hospital status. This resulted in Medicare reimbursement opportunities.

In 2007, donations from the Besse's allowed for an expansion to the emergency department. Jennings also says he's also proud of a recent project, the serenity garden.

"We have done some wonderful work with our serenity garden," said Jennings. "We have done wonderful work with Bishop Sample, our Bishop. We almost lost behavioral health services in our community, and we were able to keep that."

A search is now on to find a new CEO and President for OSF St. Francis Hospital and Medical Group.