FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

SISTERS OF MERCY HEALTH SYSTEM ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP APPOINTMENTS

<ST. LOUIS, MO - June 20, 2005> – The Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy) is pleased to announce the following leadership appointments in support of its revenue management activities:

Randall J. Combs, who serves as Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer for St. John’s Mercy Health Care, Mercy’s St. Louis-based member organization, has been named System Revenue Executive in addition to maintaining his role at St. John’s Mercy. In this System role, Combs will oversee revenue management activities across Mercy involving the development and implementation of standardized approaches related to registration, billing, documentation and coding, managed care contracting support and modeling, reimbursement and infrastructure support.

Sheri Beekman has been named to the new role of Vice President, Patient Financial Services for Mercy. Beekman will provide leadership, strategic direction and operational management for patient financial services across Mercy. She also continues to serve in the role of Vice President, Patient Financial Services for St. John’s Mercy Health Care.

Ron Trulove has been named to the new role of Vice President, Reimbursement and Revenue Integrity for Mercy, with responsibility for reimbursement strategies and management. Trulove previously served as Vice President, Finance for St. John’s Mercy Health Care.

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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 9th 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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