FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Woodrich to Join Mercy Health System of Kansas as CEO

FORT SCOTT, KS (Oct. 10, 2006) – John T. Woodrich will join Mercy Health System of Kansas as president and chief executive officer, effective November 13. Woodrich will succeed Jon Swope, who previously announced plans to return this fall to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Missouri, to assume the role of president.

Woodrich has 30 years of experience as a healthcare leader, having served in hospitals in Nebraska, Missouri, Michigan and Virginia. Since 2003 he has served as chief executive officer of Wright Memorial Hospital in Trenton, Missouri, part of Saint Luke’s Health System. Wright Memorial includes a 78-bed hospital, home health and hospice, foundation and physician clinics. Under Woodrich’s leadership, the organization received the Primaris Gold Status Quality Award for clinical improvement, recruited eight new practitioners, established a foundation, improved inpatient satisfaction by 40 percent and exceeded operating margins all three years. As a community leader, Woodrich served as chairperson of the Trenton Area Chamber of Commerce and the North Central Missouri Mental Health Board, in addition to holding positions on other local boards.

Prior to his tenure at Wright Memorial Hospital, Woodrich held chief operating officer positions at Prince William Health System in Manassas, Virginia, and Battle Creek Health System in Battle Creek, Michigan, part of Trinity Health. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from California National University. Woodrich and his wife, Jeannie, have three children.

“We are pleased to welcome John Woodrich to our Mercy health facilities in Fort Scott and Independence, and are confident that they will benefit from his experience and accomplishments,” said John Sullivan, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Sisters of Mercy Health System.

Mercy Health System of Kansas includes Mercy Health Center in Fort Scott, Kansas; Mercy Hospital in Independence, Kansas; and Mercy Physician Group, an integrated physician clinic organization.

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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 ninth largest Catholic healthcare 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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