meet the speakers
Sister Mary Jean Ryan speaks on February 10.
Learn about the Sustainable, Green Business Open Mic Night, which happens April 14.
SISTER MARY JEAN RYAN
Franciscan Sister of Mary, President/CEO of SSM Health Care (SSMHC)
Sister Mary is head of one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the United States, with 24,000 employees and 5,000 affiliated physicians serving in 20 hospitals and 2 nursing homes. In 2002, SSM Health Care became the first health care recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s premier award for performance excellence and quality achievement.
During her 22-year tenure, Sr. Mary Jean has emphasized three key themes: preservation of the earth’s resources; valuing ethnic and gender diversity; and commitment to Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). She is the author of “On Becoming Exceptional: SSM Health Care’s Journey to Baldrige and Beyond,” released in March 2007, and co-author of “CQI and the Renovation of an American Health Care System: A Culture Under Construction,” released in 1997. She has been privileged to share SSM Health Care’s Quality Journey through presentations to many national and international organizations.
Sr. Mary Jean has received numerous honors, including the Juran Medal from the American Society for Quality, the Life and Breath Award from the American Lung Association, the Governor’s Quality Leadership Award in Missouri (twice), the Award of Honor presented by the American Hospital Association, 20 Distinguished Women/St. Louis Area; the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award from the National Conference of Community and Justice; the Corporation that Makes a Difference Award from the International Women’s Forum; one of the 25 Most Influential Women in Business in St. Louis (2005), and one of the most powerful people in health care by Modern Healthcare Magazine for the past four years. She also received an honorary degree/Doctor of Humane Letters from Webster University (St. Louis) in 1994, as well as from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Lindenwood University (St. Charles, MO), both in 2003.
She was elected as an Academician to the International Academy for Quality in 2008 and serves on several national, state, local, civic and health care boards, which include: Premier, Inc., the former National Commission for Quality Long-Term Care, the Excellence in Missouri Foundation and the District Industry Council (Health Care) - Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. In addition, she is Chairperson of the Boards of SSM Health Care of Oklahoma, SSM Health Care of Wisconsin, and SSM Health Care-St. Louis. She also serves as President of the SSM Health Care Board of Directors.
Sr. Mary Jean received a nursing diploma at St. Marys Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, a Bachelor of Science Degree in nursing from Saint Louis University, and a Master’s Degree in Hospital and Health Administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati. She has been a Franciscan Sister of Mary for more than 40 years.
SSM Health Care (www.ssmhc.com)
SSM Health Care is a vibrant organization whose mission was developed with input from nearly 3,000 employees:“Through our exceptional health care services, we reveal the healing presence of God.”
SSM Health Care exists to care for the people of its communities regardless of their ability to pay. Our commitment to exceptional care has been recognized nationally and in each of the states where we operate. National and locale recognition includes: quality awards, safety awards, clinical recognition, and employer of choice by AARP and others. Our patient satisfaction and clinical performance indicators routinely rank better than average.
The system began with five religious sisters who journeyed to St. Louis in 1872 from Germany to be of service to people in need. In their early ledgers, the sisters listed patients who could not pay for their care as “Our Dear Lord’s.” To this day, SSM ensures discounts for people without health insurance. Based in St. Louis, the system is sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of Mary and operates 20 acute-care hospitals and two nursing homes in four states: Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Oklahoma.
SSM has more than 24,000 employees, 5,000 physicians and 5,000 volunteers. It is the first health-care recipient of the 2002 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and the first large health system to go tobacco-free inside and out. Forward-looking, SSM is implementing an electronic health record in all its hospitals. Below, employees celebrated after each was honored with a Courageous Leadership Award at the 2008 SSM Leadership Conference. The award recognized employees for their leadership in accomplishing SSM's mission.
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