25 2026 RETIRED PHYSICIANS PROFILE | Community Connections For Peter Blume, MD, what began as a temporary position while considering a career as a cardiologist soon became a 37-year commitment to emergency medicine at Concord Hospital. Blume joined the staff at Concord Hospital in 1981, fresh off his internal medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin. Since emergency medicine was a new specialty at the time, with few residency programs to support it, Blume gained experience organically by moonlighting in various emergency departments during his training, where the hands-on work sparked his interest in the field. “I took the ER job as a trial at Concord Hospital, thinking if it didn’t work out, I might go back and do a cardiology fellowship,” recalls Blume, who became board certified in emergency medicine in 1986 through a grandfather clause that allowed experienced physicians to sit for the boards. “It actually worked out very well, and I ultimately found a specialty that was a good fit for me at a great community hospital with an exceptional medical staff.” Since his retirement in 2017, Blume has sought ways to remain connected to the hospital and his former colleagues. One of his primary means is through a monthly book club dinner group of a dozen or so retired physicians. Blume also plays pickleball with a cohort in Concord that includes several other former coworkers. While he enjoys the informal network, Blume is also fond of the more formal events that Concord Hospital Health System (CHHS) has typically held in the fall, where retired physicians and current providers come together. Those gatherings, Blume says, provide valuable opportunities for retirees to reunite with one another and stay informed about hospital developments. “As a working physician, I really enjoyed those meetings because a lot of retirees came,” Blume says. “And later, it was fun to connect with the docs who I’d worked my career with.” An unrelated meeting attended by Blume’s wife, Peg, a member of the Trust’s Women’s Giving Circle, led CHHS leadership to reach out about organizing events specifically for retired physicians. Those discussions led to the planning of a June 2026 gathering at the Barn at Bull Meadow in Concord, including a cocktail hour, sit-down dinner, and state-of-the-system update, followed by a Q&A. The evening is designed to bring retired physicians together with CHHS leadership. Blume sees such events as mutually beneficial, helping retirees stay engaged while offering their institutional knowledge to current management. For Blume, who witnessed Concord Hospital’s transformation from a small community institution to a major referral center during his tenure, staying connected is about more than nostalgia. As retired physicians transition from healthcare providers to patients themselves, understanding the hospital’s future direction becomes personally relevant. “Just hearing that from a knowledgeable person within the hospital,” he says, “so doctors can understand a little better the dynamics influencing the administration’s decisions today is a great way to stay engaged.” Scan to RSVP to our event on June 8 at the Barn at Bull Meadow, or contact the Trust at (603) 227-7162.
View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.