Bon Secours Health System Appoints Richard J. Statuto President and Chief Executive Officer

Marriottsville, MD, November 10, 2004 – Following an in-depth national search, Bon Secours Health System (BSHSI) announced the appointment of Richard J. Statuto as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Effective February 1, 2005, Statuto will assume the helm of the health system which will be vacated upon the retirement of Christopher M. Carney. Statuto has a seventeen-year career in Catholic health care including three years with BSHSI during the late 1980’s. Most recently he led St. Joseph Health System in Orange, California as its President and CEO where he and his team quadrupled the annual net revenue to $3 billion of this multi-state healthcare provider. Moreover, they developed the leading market share position in all markets, and improved operating margin from 1% to 5+%. For 10 years under Statuto’s leadership, St. Joseph maintained a AA Rating by Moody's Investor Service and Standard & Poor's--the only health system located in the state of California to receive this rating. Statuto currently serves as the immediate past chair and current member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Health Association and is vice chair of the board of Christus Health System headquartered in Dallas, TX.

“We are very grateful to our search committee, which worked diligently over the past five months to ensure the selection of a strong, capable leader,” said Sister Patricia A. Eck, C.B.S., chairperson of the BSHSI board of directors. “Rich brings enormous energy and leadership experience within the Catholic health ministry. He has proven strategic skills and success as a health care executive as well as the ability to balance ministry and business decision making. We are delighted that he will be rejoining the BSHSI family.”

Speaking for the search committee, chair Don Seitz, M.D., added, “Rich is an outstanding leader whom we found to be uniquely committed to Catholic health care and the future of BSHSI. His energy and enthusiasm have a natural way of mobilizing people. His track record demonstrates that he really knows how to make things happen.”

Statuto graduated from Vanderbilt University and Xavier University with a Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Business Administration, respectively. His diverse career spans 24 years and includes product line management and branding at Procter and Gamble and operations improvement, financial management, and new business development consulting with Touche Ross & Co. (now Deloitte Touche). In his prior position with BSHSI Statuto was responsible for strategic planning, marketing, service line and new business development. “I am looking forward to working with BSHSI and the Sisters of Bon Secours,” stated Statuto. “It is the people and this ministry that excite me most. This health system has grown tremendously over the years and its people have contributed to their communities in so many significant ways. I feel honored to be returning to my roots in Catholic health care.”

Chris Carney, who announced last June his intention to transition from BSHSI in March 2005, will continue to support the health system through his retirement in August, 2005.

Bon Secours Health System, Inc., based in Marriottsville, Md., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system that owns, manages or joint ventures 24 acute care, nine long-term care, eight assisted living and independent living and other facilities, primarily on the East Coast. Bon Secours Health System consists of more than 28,000 caregivers serving 15 communities in nine states. Its vision is to be a leader in Catholic health ministry reaching beyond tradition to liberate people’s potential and improve the communities it serves.