Bon Secours Health System Promotes Valinda Rutledge
to Multistate Role

Marriottsville, Maryland, October 1, 2007 – Bon Secours Health System, Inc. (BSHSI) announced today the promotion of Valinda Rutledge to CEO Bon Secours St. Francis Health System and Market Leader – South Carolina & Kentucky. Rutledge joined BSHSI in 2003 as the chief executive for Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville, South Carolina. In this expanded role, she will oversee the growth and operations of Bon Secours presence in Kentucky as well as Greenville. Rutledge will provide consultative services to other systems and facilities in physician network development as well as lead BSHSI’s pilot implementation of Bon Secours ConnectCare, the national health system’s $150 million electronic health record initiative.

Rutledge will report directly to Donald E. Strange, BSHSI chief operating officer. In her new role, she will add oversight responsibilities for Bon Secours Kentucky Health System working with Mark Gordon, chief executive for that local ministry while continuing to provide direction and oversight for the leadership team for Bon Secours St. Francis. Working with John Shea, BSHSI’s senior vice president for business development, Rutledge will co-lead the exploration of future growth opportunities in these two states. Rutledge will assume her new responsibilities effective October 1, 2007.

Sister Rose Marie Jasinski, BSHSI senior vice president of sponsorship stated that Rutledge brought special leadership skills to St. Francis and has grown this ministry into a tremendous resource to the Greenville community. “The system has and will continue to benefit from her leadership and scope of capabilities,” she added.

Rutledge earned her master’s in nursing science from Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich., and a master’s in business administration from Butler University, Indianapolis, Ind. She has served in key leadership positions at major tertiary, teaching hospitals that also operated smaller and rural facilities.

Donald E. Strange, BSHSI chief operating officer stated, “Valinda possesses excellent healthcare leadership skills with a proven record of success in directing complex, quality-oriented healthcare service operations. We are extremely pleased with the visionary leadership she has demonstrated for St. Francis and the Greenville community.”

Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, a member of Bon Secours Health System, is a private, not-for-profit integrated health care delivery system. St. Francis has 319 beds and includes: St. Francis Hospital-Downtown, St. Francis Hospital-Eastside, the St. Francis Outpatient Center and Upstate Surgery Center. Services offered include cancer treatment, cardiac care, rehabilitation, surgical services, women’s health services, home care, hospice, community outreach and business health services.

Bon Secours Health System, Inc. based in Marriottsville, Maryland, is a $2.2 billion dollar not-for-profit Catholic health system that owns, manages or joint ventures 18 acute care, 5 long term care, 5 assisted living and independent living and other facilities, primarily on the East Coast. Bon Secours Health System consists of more than 17,000 caregivers helping people in 10 communities in seven states. Its vision is to be recognized for its leadership in justice, transforming the communities in which it serves and works into places of health and hope, and being a prophetic voice for systemic U.S. health reform and a more humane world.