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 2003) - 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 fourth 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 213.

The complete listing of the 2003 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 (Mercy) 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 18 acute care hospitals providing more than 4,000 licensed beds, a heart 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 26,000 co-workers and 3,100 physicians who are employed or practice at Mercy facilities. Mercy is the 10th largest Catholic health care system in the United States based on net patient service revenue and is sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy–St. Louis Regional Community.

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