Board of Directors

Born on April’s Fools Day, 1959, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the first child of two educators Darryl Wayne was raised on his great grandparents’ farm in Hammond, Louisiana. He attended Holy Ghost Catholic School and graduated as Class President from Hammond High School in 1977. His early involvement in multiple endeavors including sports, science, community and work activities created a desire for excellence culminating in graduation in 1981 from the United States Military Academy at West Point. As early as age 9 he expressed interest in Medicine. He graduated in 1985 from Drexel University /Hahnemann School of Medicine in Philadelphia,where he met his life partner, Lydia Sims. They were married the next year just after he finished Internship in General Surgery. He completed in 1992 Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas where both children-Dawn and Robert- were born. His work in medicine has led to a fascinating series of opportunities. Dr. Peterson was selected as team physician for a World Cross Country championship(Nigeria), served as Chief of Orthopaedics at the largest military base in the world(Ft. Hood, Texas) and trained in 1997-1998 at one of only three places in the world where hand transplants were performed(University of Louisivlle Hand Program). Upon leaving the military in 1998 he opened private practice Hand and Orthopaedic Surgery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Believing in a strong sense of community and that opportunity knocks loudest when we are listening, he has been involved in multiple projects since leaving the Army. He began in 2000 a Summer Youth Orthopaedic Clerkship in an attempt to motivate others towards Medicine. Mentoring multiple area students, it produced several physicians and nationally recognized presentations. He and his wife are founding members of the core group which developed and opened the Greater Baton Rouge Surgical Hospital. This minority owned and operated hospital successfully performed thousands of procedures, employed over 100, and was the first hospital selected to receive in 2007 the National Medical Association’s Scroll of Merit Award. It also won the Press Gainey National Outcome Driven Performance Award as Top Performer for inpatient satisfaction in both 2010 and 2011. Sadly, it closed in 2012. From December 2013 until May 2017 he practiced Hand and Microvascular Surgery in the Phoenix , Arizona area as a member of the Banner Health Network. He was glad relocate back to Texas (Bryan/College Station) joining in 2017 CHI/St. Joseph’s Healthcare. Dr. Peterson has been active in both local and national organizations. He was a member of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s Healthcare Committee , past President of the Saint Paul Catholic Church Community Outreach Foundation and founding board member of Jump Start Your Heart. He serves in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery’s Robert Gladden Society as Membership Director and is editor of its publication. He was selected to the Academy’s Diversity Advisory Committee. He is a charter member of The National World War II/D-Day Museum and the US Army Historical Society. He spends his free time in pursuit of his hobby, photography, and with his family. He and his wife, Lydia Sims, have two children and a host of nieces, nephews, and Godchildren.