June 15, 2005 - St. Louis, MO -- SSM Health Care has been named a top 10 company for people with disabilities by DiversityInc™. SSMHC was number six on the list and was cited for actively recruiting people with disabilities and for including companies owned by people with disabilities in its supplier-diversity initiative.       “At SSM, we want our diversity efforts to be broad in scope and believe that everyone has something to offer,” said Yvonne Tisdel, SSMHC corporate vice president-Human Resources and System Diversity. “We try to reach out and embrace disabled persons, not only as a health care provider, but also as an employer or as a business partner..”       SSMHC has received numerous recognitions for its diversity efforts. In 2004, SSMHC was named a Best Employer for Workers Over 50 by AARP. Earlier this year, the system received the Workplace Diversity Award from the Anti-Defamation League’s A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute.       Other companies on DiversityInc’s top 10 list include Hewlett-Packard, Merrill Lynch & Co. and General Motors. DiversityInc™ publishes an on-line magazine and hosts a website that provides education and clarity on the business benefits of diversity.       Sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary and based in St. Louis, MO, SSM Health Care is one of the largest Catholic systems in the country and is the first health care recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s premier award for performance excellence and quality achievement.       The system employs 23,500 people and owns, operates and is affiliated with 20 acute care hospitals and three nursing homes in four states: Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. For copies more information about SSM Health Care, please visit SSMHC’s homepage at www.ssmhc.com.