FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact:
Barb Meyer, 314/628-3633

Jeffrey A. Johnston Named St. Edward Mercy CEO

Fort Smith, AR (November 7, 2008) — The Sisters of Mercy Health System is pleased to announce that Jeffrey A. Johnston has been named to the position of president and chief executive officer of St. Edward Mercy Health System, Fort Smith, Arkansas, effective December 1, 2008.

Since 2004, Johnston has served as chief operating officer at Mercy Health Center in Oklahoma City. In addition to having responsibility for operational areas of the hospital, he has provided executive leadership for Mercy Health Network, a 52-member integrated physician network. From April 2006 to April 2007, Johnston also served as interim CEO of Mercy Health System of Oklahoma. Johnston joined Mercy in 2001, serving in the role of senior vice president–operations at Mercy Memorial Health Center in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Prior to joining Mercy, Johnston held several leadership positions over a six-year period with MetroHealth System, a large healthcare provider organization in Cleveland, Ohio. MetroHealth includes a 728-bed academic medical center, which serves as the primary teaching facility for Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Johnston holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma, and a master’s degree in business administration and hospital and health administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“Jeff brings exceptional talent and experience to his new role, as well as a strong commitment to the mission of the Mercy health ministry,” said John Sullivan, president and CEO of the Sisters of Mercy Health System, sponsors of St. Edward Mercy Health System. “We also are pleased that this appointment enables Jeff to continue to progress as a leader within Mercy.”

Johnston will be joined in his move to the Fort Smith community by his wife, Lauri, and their three children, Alivia, 10, Isaac, 8, and Luke, 4.

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About Mercy

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, two heart hospitals, 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 28,000 co-workers and 4,450 physicians who are employed or practice at Mercy facilities. Mercy is the 9th largest Catholic healthcare system in the U.S. based on net patient service revenue. It is sponsored by Mercy Health Ministry, an entity established by the Catholic Church to oversee the healing ministry and Catholic identity of Mercy. For more information, visit www.mercy.net.

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