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Catholic Health East Announces Appointment of New Sponsors Council Members

August 27, 2009

Barbara A. Draper

Harry R. Hill, Jr., Esq.

M. Eileen Schmitt, M.D.

Newtown Square, Pa., Thursday, August 27, 2009 -- Catholic Health East (CHE) announced the recent appointment of three individuals to its Sponsors Council, which represents the interests of the sponsoring organizations in the affairs of Catholic Health East. The appointments of Barbara A. Draper, Harry R. Hill, Jr., Esq., and M. Eileen Schmitt, M.D., were effective earlier this year when they became members of Hope Ministries, a Public Juridic Person within the Catholic Church that is empowered to sponsor ministries in the name of the Church.

Draper is a nurse specialist consultant for BESLER Consulting, Princeton, N.J., where she supports health care facilities’ efforts to continuously improve their operations to achieve compliance with various standards. Prior to this she was the vice president, mission and ministry services for St. Francis Medical Center in Trenton, N.J. She had been employed at St. Francis for many years in various management roles.

Draper earned her master’s degree in administration from Rider University, Lawrenceville, N.J., her bachelor’s degree in health science from Rowan University, Glassboro, N.J., and her diploma in nursing from the St. Francis School of Nursing, Trenton, N.J. She also holds numerous post-master’s certificates. She is a licensed registered nurse in the state of New Jersey and is a member of many professional associations and organizations.

Hill is currently managing partner for Backes & Hill, L.L.P., Lawrenceville, N.J. He has served on many boards and community associations, including the CHE stewardship committee and the board of trustees at St. Francis Medical Center, a regional health corporation of CHE. He earned his L.L. B. from Wake Forest University and his B.A. from Rutgers University and brings many years of experience in civil litigation, legal malpractice defense, and corporate and hospital law to his role as a CHE Sponsors Council member.

Schmitt is currently in private practice in Wilmington, Del., and was previously director of the St. Clare Van (an outreach van that provides medical care to the homeless, the poor and the uninsured in the community) at St. Francis Hospital, Wilmington, Del. Prior to that, she had served as CEO of the hospital and vice president of medical affairs. Dr. Schmitt earned her doctor of medicine from the Medical College of Pennsylvania, her master’s of science from the State University of New York at Buffalo; and her B.S. from D’Youville College, Buffalo, N.Y.

“It is crucial at this time to focus on the commitment to our ministry of Catholic health care, and our new sponsors bring the education, experience, and wisdom to do that,” said Sr. Julie Casey, IHM, executive vice president mission integration. “While challenges continue and increase, the dedication of our Sponsors Council members is constant.”

Catholic Health East (CHE), a Catholic health system co-sponsored by nine religious congregations and Hope Ministries, is based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. CHE provides the means to ensure the continuation of the Catholic identity and operational strength of the sponsors’ health ministries, which are located in 11 eastern states from Maine to Florida. The CHE system includes 34 acute-care hospitals, four long-term acute-care hospitals, 25 free-standing and hospital-based long-term care facilities, 14 assisted-living facilities, four continuing-care retirement communities, eight behavioral-health and rehabilitation facilities, 32 home health/hospice agencies, and numerous ambulatory and community-based health services. CHE facilities employ approximately 54,000 full-time employees aspartners in ministry.

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