Memphis, Tenn., May 20, 2003 - Baptist Memorial Health Care recently made several leadership changes within its hospitals and in senior administration.

Beverly Jordan, R.N., was named vice president and chief nursing officer for Baptist. In this role, Jordan will develop strategic direction for nursing and all patient care activities. She also will spearhead the system’s patient safety and quality initiatives. Jordan was most recently the chief nursing officer for the 706-bed Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis, the largest hospital in the health care system.

Bill Caldwell, who has served as chief operating officer of Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto since November 2001, has been promoted to administrator and CEO of the hospital. Caldwell has been a Baptist employee for 13 years. Before coming to Baptist DeSoto, he was an assistant administrator at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford for seven years, and served as the director of human resources for Baptist Memorial Health Care’s metro-Memphis market for four years.

Tom Murphree, an assistant administrator at Baptist Memphis, has been promoted to chief operating officer and chief nursing officer for the hospital. Now, he supervises the nursing, surgery, wellness and rehabilitation, respiratory therapy, pharmacy and transfusion departments, as well as the Baptist Heart Institute and the hospital’s laboratories. Murphree came to Baptist Memphis in 2000 as director of the Baptist Heart Institute. Soon afterward, he became one of the hospital’s assistant administrators.

Rick Lassiter has been named as one of Baptist Memphis’ assistant administrators. In his new position, Lassiter will supervise the hospital’s radiology, physical therapy, neurology, pulmonology, audiology, facility services, safety and food and nutrition departments. He also will be responsible for the Plaza Diagnostics Pavilion, where many of Baptist Memphis’ outpatient services are located, as well as echocardiogram and electrocardiogram services. For the past two years, Lassiter served as administrator of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Collierville.

Gordon Lintz, who also is an assistant administrator at Baptist Memphis, will lead Baptist’s strategic planning efforts for its cancer services, as well as supervise the hospital’s skilled nursing facility, clinical research, the stem cell transplant program, the Baptist Cancer Institute-Memphis Radiation Oncology Center and the graduate medical education department. He also will serve as a resource for all of Baptist’s cancer services systemwide. Lintz has a great deal of experience in this area, and he has helped shape Baptist Memphis’ cancer program.

Replacing Lassiter at Baptist Collierville will be Brandt Wright, who most recently served as administrator and CEO for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Blytheville. Wright has been with Baptist for almost eight years. Before going to Baptist Blytheville, Wright was vice president of integrated services for Baptist Memorial Health Care.

John Tompkins has been tapped to become the administrator and CEO of Baptist Blytheville. Tompkins has been with Baptist for more than 20 years, serving most recently as administrator and CEO for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Osceola. Prior to serving at Baptist Osceola, Tompkins was administrator and CEO for Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County and Baptist Memorial Hospital-Booneville.

Ron Sellers will become the administrator and CEO of Baptist Osceola. Sellers has been with Baptist since 2001, serving as assistant administrator of Baptist Blytheville. Before going to Baptist Blytheville, Sellers was the chief operating officer for Executive Health Care in Lexington, Tenn.

“We are very excited about these changes, because we feel the leadership skills of these individuals will make Baptist an even stronger health care system,” said David Hogan, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Baptist Memorial Health Care. “We’re fortunate to have such talented health care professionals in our organization.”

One of the largest not-for-profit health care systems in the United States, Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. offers a full continuum of care to communities throughout the Mid-South. The BMHCC network consists of 17 hospitals; more than 2,900 affiliated physicians; home, hospice and psychiatric care throughout the tri-state area; minor medical centers and clinics; a chain of surgery, rehabilitation and other outpatient centers; and an education system highlighted by the Baptist College of Health Sciences. BMHCC is one of the top-rated integrated health care delivery systems in the country, according to the American Hospital Association, and the only Memphis-based provider that spans three states. With an unmatched commitment to patient safety and quality, BMHCC seeks to partner with patients to continually enhance their care.

For more information, visit www.baptistonline.org.

# # #