FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Barb Meyer
Director of Communications
Sisters of Mercy Health System
v: 314.628-3633
f: 314.628-3734
e: bmeyer@corp.mercy.net
www.mercy.net

SISTERS OF MERCY HEALTH SYSTEM NAMED TO INFORMATIONWEEK 500 LIST

ST. LOUIS, MO (September 23, 2002) - The Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy) was named one of the nation's most innovative and largest users of information technology (IT) by InformationWeek magazine in its annual InformationWeek 500 ranking. This marks the third consecutive year that Mercy has been named to the list.

The InformationWeek 500 bases its rankings on prioritization of a company's IT investments, core areas of operations, technology deployment, IT budget, technology strategies, E-business, customer knowledge initiatives, and staff management. Of the 500 companies on the list, Mercy was ranked 176. In the category "Health Care and Medical," Mercy was ranked 11 of 21.

The complete listing of the 2002 companies can be found in the September issue of InformationWeek magazine, or online at www.informationweek.com.

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The Sisters of Mercy Health System, based in St. Louis, Missouri, operates hospitals, physician practices, outpatient clinics, health plans, and related health and human services in a seven-state area including Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. Its members include 19 acute care hospitals providing nearly 5,000 licensed beds, a psychiatric hospital, a managed care subsidiary (Mercy Health Plans), physician practices, outpatient care facilities, home health programs, skilled nursing services and long-term care facilities. Services are provided by approximately 27,000 co-workers and 4,000 physicians who are employed or practice at Mercy facilities.

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