Memphis, Tenn., May 21, 2003 - Tom Murphree, one of Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis’ assistant administrators, recently was promoted to chief operating officer and chief nursing officer for the facility.

In his new position, he will supervise a total of eight hospital departments; nursing, surgery, wellness and rehabilitation, respiratory therapy, pharmacy and transfusion departments, as well as the Baptist Heart Institute and the hospital’s laboratories.

“We decided to offer Tom this position because of his hard work and dedication,” said David Hogan, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Baptist Memorial Health Care. “He has succeeded in every job he’s had at Baptist, and I fully expect him to succeed at this one, as well.”

After serving as chief nursing officer at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus, Miss., Murphree was named chief nursing officer of Baptist Memorial Health Care’s Mississippi market, which comprises four hospitals. In 2000, he moved to Baptist Memphis as director of the Baptist Heart Institute. Soon afterward, he became one of the hospital’s assistant administrators.

“For the past three years, Tom has distinguished himself as a strong, effective leader at Baptist Memphis,” said Stuart Mitchell, administrator and CEO of Baptist Memphis. “His success with opening the Baptist Heart Institute, as well as with the other departments he has supervised, has been invaluable to us.”

Baptist Memphis is a 706-bed hospital that is the flagship of the Baptist Memorial Health Care system. It serves as a major referral center for patients from across the Mid-South, and offers many diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services. The hospital has added hundreds of beds in the past few years, with the opening of a patient tower and the Baptist Heart Institute. For the past three years in row, U.S. News & World Report has named Baptist Memphis one of the top 50 hospitals in the country for orthopedics, and consumers have rated Baptist Memphis their most preferred hospital for overall health care services in a National Research Corp. poll for the past seven years in a row.

For more information, call (901) 226-5000 or visit www.baptistonline.org.

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