Catholic Health East: Latest News

Kirk G. Wilson Named President and Chief Executive Officer of Saint Joseph's Health System (Atlanta), a Member of Catholic Health East

May 12, 2006

NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA - Catholic Health East, one of the nation's largest Catholic-sponsored health care systems, and Saint Joseph's Health System today announced the appointment of Kirk G. Wilson, 55, as president and chief executive officer at Saint Joseph's Health System in Atlanta, Georgia. Saint Joseph's Health System, recognized as one of the leading acute-care, specialty-referral hospitals in the Southeastern United States, is a Regional Health Corporation (RHC) of Catholic Health East. Wilson's appointment, which follows a nationwide executive search, is effective June 19, 2006.

Kirk G. Wilson

"Kirk is an accomplished health care executive who has the depth and breadth of experience needed to meet the challenges facing Saint Joseph's Health System," said Bruce Simmons, chairman of Saint Joseph's Board of Trustees. "His outstanding leadership skills and business acumen, combined with his proven ability to build and nurture strong and productive physician-hospital relationships, make him the ideal person for this position."

Wilson brings more than thirty years of health care experience to his new role at Saint Joseph's. Since 1999, he has served as president of the 775-bed Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, the largest private tertiary care hospital in Louisiana. During his tenure, Wilson was responsible for implementing a $200 million hospital renovation plan that included comprehensive clinical information technology enhancements; creating a clinical research division and enhancing the Cardiac Research Foundation; and implementing successful 24/7 intensivist and hospitalist programs. Prior to that, Wilson served for two years as chief executive officer at HCA's Bay Area Medical Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, and for seven years as president and chief executive officer at Montana Deaconess Medical Center in Great Falls, Montana. Wilson also worked for fourteen years in increasingly responsible administrative positions at hospitals in California, Oregon, Oklahoma, and Montana.

""I am honored by the confidence and trust placed in me by CHE and Saint Joseph's in making this appointment. I look forward to building upon the great work already begun by Saint Joseph's and forwarding the Sister's of Mercy vision," said Wilson."

Wilson received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota, and earned a master's degree in Hospital and Health Administration from the University of Iowa.

"Kirk has spent more than half of his professional life in Catholic health care," said Sr. Jane Gerety, senior vice president of sponsorship at Saint Joseph's Health System. "He impresses me as an individual of exceptional strength, vision and character, and I believe that he is an excellent choice to lead our health system and to further the healing mission of the Sisters of Mercy."

Wilson replaces Eugene Davidson, MD, who has served Saint Joseph's Health System as interim president and CEO since January 2006. Dr. Davidson, a long-time surgeon and former chief of staff at Saint Joseph's, retired from his group practice in December 2005 and agreed to serve as interim president until a new CEO was in place.

"In an era of increasing complexity and challenge for health care organizations, it is essential to have an accomplished, decisive and principled leader at the helm," said Robert V. Stanek, president and chief executive officer of Catholic Health East. "I believe that Kirk Wilson is the right person at the right time for Saint Joseph's Health System. All of us at Catholic Health East look forward to Kirk's contributions at the local as well as the System level, as we all work together to be transforming, healing presences in the communities we are privileged to serve."

A founding member of Catholic Health East and sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, South Central Community, Saint Joseph's was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1880 and is Atlanta's oldest hospital. The 410-bed, acute-care hospital, a leader in cardiac, neurologic, vascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, orthopaedic and cancer care, offers its patients the latest procedures and treatments by providing its medical staff of more than 750 physicians with research services and the most advanced technology available.

Catholic Health East is a multi-institutional Catholic health system, co-sponsored by 15 religious congregations and Hope Ministries, a Public Juridic Person within Catholic Health East. Based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, the System provides the means to ensure the continuation of the Catholic identity and operational strength of the sponsors' health ministries, which are located within eleven eastern states from Maine to Florida. The System includes 33 acute care hospitals, 4 long term acute care hospitals, 41 freestanding and hospital-based long term care facilities, 13 assisted living facilities, 5 continuing care retirement communities, 8 behavioral health and rehabilitation facilities, 32 home health and hospice agencies, and numerous ambulatory and community-based health services. Catholic Health East facilities employ approximately 43,000 full-time employees as partners in ministry.

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