October 5, 2007 - For immediate release

ST. LOUIS – Ronald J. Levy, president/chief executive officer of SSM Health Care-St. Louis and regional president/system vice president for SSM Health Care, today announced that he plans to leave SSM effective Nov. 9 after more than 30 years of service.  Jim Sanger, president/chief executive officer for St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Inc. in Centralia and Mt. Vernon, Ill. and regional president/system vice president of SSM Health Care, will replace Levy effective Nov. 10.

Levy, 57, in a letter to his SSM colleagues, stated: “I have made the toughest decision during my more than 30 years of service to SSM….I want to express my gratitude for what I believe has been the opportunity and experience of a lifetime.”

Levy said his decision to leave was based on his professional judgment that it was time for a leadership change, and his personal desire to embark upon a new phase of his life.  “Those of you who know me well will not question my love for the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, my enduring commitment to SSM Health Care’s mission, and my continued optimism about its future,” Levy said in his letter.

Levy’s SSM career started as an administrative resident at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wis. in 1976. He quickly rose through the ranks and assumed a variety of top-level positions, including president of St. Clare Hospital and Health Services in Baraboo, Wis.; president of SSM St. Mary’s Health Center, St. Louis; and president of the SSM Physicians Organization. He was appointed to his current position in 1999 where he led a $50 million turnaround for SSM Health Care-St. Louis. 

“Ron’s leadership has been invaluable to the SSM system through the years,” said Bill Schoenhard, executive vice president/chief operating officer of SSM Health Care.  “His extraordinary commitment to our mission, his genuine concern for people, his ability to inspire, and his deep understanding of the intricacies of health care leadership are among the hallmarks of his work.”   

Sanger, 63, joined St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Inc. in 1997 as the organization’s first president. St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Inc. is cosponsored by SSM Health Care and the Felician Services in Chicago.

Before joining SSM Health Care, Sanger was senior vice president, administrative services for Legacy Health System, and also served as president of Good Samaritan Hospital and Medical Center, both in Portland, Ore.

“Jim has earned a reputation for building relationships to achieve the vision of the St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Board of Directors,” Schoenhard said.  “Working with physicians and other clinicians in Southern Illinois, he created centers of excellence in core areas to deliver exceptional health care services.”

“Under Jim’s leadership, the joint operating agreement in Southern Illinois has been one of a handful of such endeavors in the nation to thrive over time,” Schoenhard added.

Jerry Lefert, president emeritus of SSM’s St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison will become interim president/CEO of St. Mary’s Good Samaritan Inc. and regional president/system vice president for SSM Health Care. Lefert retired from St. Mary’s in 2004. SSM will launch a national search for a permanent replacement for Sanger.

About SSM Health Care
Sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary and based in St. Louis, Mo., SSM Health Care is one of the largest Catholic health systems in the country and the first health care recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The system owns, manages and is affiliated with 20 acute care hospitals and two nursing homes in four states: Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma. More than 5,000 affiliated physicians and 24,000 employees work together to provide a wide range of services that are compassionate, holistic and of high quality.

About SSM-St. Louis
With eight hospitals, nearly 2,000 staff physicians and more than 10,000 employees, SSM Health Care-St. Louis is committed to serving the comprehensive health needs of St. Louis area residents.  Sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, the health care network includes: SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center; SSM DePaul Health Center; SSM St. Joseph Health Center (St. Charles); SSM St. Joseph Health Center-Wentzville; SSM St. Joseph Hospital West (Lake Saint Louis); SSM St. Joseph Hospital of Kirkwood; SSM St. Mary's Health Center and SSM Rehab. The health care network also includes three medical groups: SSM St. Charles Clinic Medical Group, SSM Medical Group and SSM DePaul Medical Group.

Photos
(Click on the thumbnail to view the larger photo)

Ron Levy

Jim Sanger

Jerry Lefert

MEDIA CONTACT:
Chris Sutton     
Corporate Communications Manager    
SSM Health Care
314-994-7886 (office); 314-323-5563 (cell)
chris_sutton@ssmhc.com