Sisters of Mercy Health System Assumes Sponsorship of St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo.
November 2, 2009
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy) announced today that it has finalized transactions to assume sponsorship of St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Mo. Beginning immediately, Mercy will take full responsibility for operating the 367-bed acute care hospital and related operations. St. John’s Regional was previously sponsored and operated by Catholic Health Initiatives.
Headquartered in St. Louis, Mo., Mercy operates 19 other acute hospitals, physician practices, outpatient clinics, health plans and related health and human services in a seven-state area, including nearby hospitals, physician offices and other operations in Springfield, Mo., Rogers, Ark., and Independence and Fort Scott, Kan.
“Mercy is delighted to become part of the Joplin community,” said Lynn Britton, Mercy president and CEO. “We have deep roots and a strong history of service in communities throughout southwest Missouri and surrounding states. In addition to being a good match geographically for Mercy, we and St. John’s share a rich heritage as health ministries founded by the Sisters of Mercy.”
Concurrent with the transfer of sponsorship, Gary Pulsipher will assume the role of president and chief executive officer of St. John’s Regional. Pulsipher was a leader within Mercy from 1994 to 2002, serving as president/CEO of St. John’s Hospital in Lebanon, Mo., and regional vice president of St. John’s Health System in Springfield with executive responsibility for five regional hospitals. Since 2002, Pulsipher has served as president/CEO for Columbus Community Hospital in Columbus, Neb., and administrator of Silverton Hospital in Silverton, Ore.
“I am excited to rejoin the Mercy organization in this position,” Pulsipher said. “Mercy has a well-deserved reputation for providing compassionate, faith-based healthcare combined with innovative medical and information technology. I am confident that St. John’s and the Joplin community will benefit from the strong, regional infrastructure and physician relationships Mercy has developed over the past decade.”
Beth O’Brien, senior vice president and group executive officer of Catholic Health Initiatives, said, “We are pleased that the transfer of St. John’s to the Sisters of Mercy Health System will ensure the continuation of a Catholic health ministry that has been serving area residents for more than a century. The board, leadership, medical staff and employees have worked very hard over the past year and a half to enhance all aspects of care delivery and operating performance at St. John’s. We know that the medical center will thrive as part of Mercy and that the communities St. John’s serves will benefit as well.”
###
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 19 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 31,000 co-workers and 4,600 physicians who are employed or practice at Mercy facilities. Mercy is the 8th 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.
St. John’s Regional Medical Center, Joplin, Mo., is a 367-bed facility, serving 19 counties in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas. It provides state-of-the-art health care services, specializing in cardiology, orthopedics, neurosciences and oncology. St. John’s has earned the Gold Seal of Approval from The Joint Commission and has received three 100 Top Hospital Awards from Thomson Healthcare. For more information, visit www.stj.com.
Catholic Health Initiatives is a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Denver, Colo., consisting of 78 hospitals, 40 long-term care, assisted and independent living and residential facilities, and two community health services organizations located in 20 states. Together, these facilities provided $553 million during the 2009 fiscal year in charity care and community benefit, including services for the poor, free clinics, education and research. Catholic Health Initiatives represents more than 65,000 employees and consolidated annual operating revenues of $8.6 billion. It ranks as the nation’s second largest Catholic health system. For more information, visit www.catholichealthinitiatives.org.
For more information contact:
Barb Meyer |
Mary Elise Biegert, APR |