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

FORD NAMED VP–PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT FOR SISTERS OF MERCY HEALTH SYSTEM

<ST. LOUIS, MO - June 20, 2005> – The Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy) is pleased to announce that Fred Ford has been named Vice President–Performance Management, with responsibility for overseeing the development, implementation and measurement of performance management tools and activities. Ford also will oversee financial compliance activities across the System. He previously served as Vice President–Revenue and Decision Support for Mercy.

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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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