ST. LOUIS (Sept. 29, 2005) SSM Health Care-St. Louis announced today that Patrice L. Komoroski, Ph.D., has been named president of SSM St. Joseph Hospital West effective Oct. 1. Komoroski, 53, has served as executive vice president/chief operating officer of St. Joseph Hospital West since 2000.

Komoroski will be the first president of St. Joseph Hospital West. Previously, both St. Joseph Hospital West and SSM St. Joseph Health Center, St. Charles, were operated under a single management structure. SSMHC-St. Louis announced in April that the two hospitals would begin operating under separate management structures, and that a nationwide search for presidents of both facilities was underway. Paul Convery, M.D., executive vice president/chief medical officer of SSM Health Care-St. Louis, has served as interim president of St. Joseph Hospital West and St. Joseph Health Center. SSMHC-St. Louis expects to name the president of St. Joseph Health Center soon.

“Pat brings an exemplary background of health care leadership and accomplishment to her new position,” said Mike Graue, executive vice president – network operations, SSM Health Care-St. Louis. “Over the past five years, Pat has managed the planning and construction of several large expansion projects, including the emergency department renovation, a new medical office building and the current patient tower project. Her leadership also was instrumental in helping St. Joseph Hospital West achieve recognition as a 100 Top Hospital in America by Solucient in both 2000 and 2003.”

Komoroski began her health care career in nursing, and held various management and administrative positions in hospitals in St. Louis and Illinois. Komoroski holds a nursing diploma from Jewish Hospital School of Nursing, a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Lindenwood College, St. Charles, as well as a Master of Nursing Administration degree from Saint Louis University. Komoroski also holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in nursing with emphasis on statistics from Saint Louis University.

About SSM Health Care
With 7 hospitals, nearly 2,000 staff physicians and 8,600 employees, SSM Health Care-St. Louis (www.ssmhealth.com) is committed to serving the comprehensive health needs of St. Louis area residents.  Sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, SSMHC-St. Louis includes SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, SSM DePaul Health Center, SSM St. Joseph Health Center, SSM St. Joseph Hospital West, SSM St. Joseph Hospital of Kirkwood, SSM St. Mary's Health Center and SSM Rehab, plus three medical groups: SSM St. Charles Clinic Medical Group, SSM Medical Group and SSM DePaul Medical Group. Its parent organization, SSM Health Care, also based in St. Louis, in 2002 became the first health care recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The system owns, operates and manages hospitals and nursing homes in four states: Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Oklahoma.

 
Patrice Komoroski Photo