Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care to Open in Transylvania County
 
Asheville/Brevard, NC (June 26, 2009)— Tim Johnston, President and CEO of Sisters of Mercy Services Corporation, announced today the opening of a new Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care off of Highway 64/276 at the intersection of North Caldwell and Whitmire Streets. The facility will open in the Fall 2009.

The new Urgent Care will offer patients, business, and industry convenient access to quality treatment of minor illness and injuries, without an appointment, by expanding Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care’s existing network which includes:

• Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care-Airport Road, 77 Airport Road, Arden
• Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care-South, 1812 Hendersonville Road, Asheville
• Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care-West, 1201 Patton Avenue, Asheville
• Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care-North, 155 Weaver Boulevard, Weaverville

“The Brevard location will offer a quality, convenient healthcare alternative for the residents of Transylvania County especially after hours and on weekends when traditional caregivers may not be available,” noted Tim Johnston. Bob Bednarek, CEO of Transylvania Regional Hospital, added, “Urgent care has been an expressed need for our county, and on behalf of our community we welcome them as a partner in meeting the healthcare needs of our region.”

The Sisters of Mercy have owned and operated urgent care centers in Buncombe County for nearly 30 years and served Western North Carolina’s healthcare and service needs for more than 100 years. In addition to Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care, Sisters of Mercy Services Corporation (“SOMSC”) includes Mountain Health Contracting general contractors and the Catherine McAuley MERCY Foundation. Additional information about SOMSC is available at www.somsc.org or by calling (828) 281-1303. Information about our Urgent Care centers, including location hours, directions and employment opportunities, can be found online at www.urgentcares.org.

Ellen T. Lawson, MD Named Medical Director for Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care, Inc.
 
Asheville (March 11, 2009)— Ellen T. Lawson, MD, has been named Medical Director for Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care, Inc., a division of Sisters of Mercy Services Corporation (www.somsc.org). Lawson is a Diplomat of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and brings 32 years of clinical experience to the urgent care setting, including six years as the Director of the Emergency Department at Louise Obici Memorial Hospital in Suffolk, VA, six years as Medical Director of Emergency and Ambulatory Services at Amsterdam Memorial Hospital in Amsterdam, NY, and 11 years as an Emergency Department Attending Physician at St. Joseph/Memorial Mission Hospital in Asheville, NC. She has been in a staff physician role with Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care since 2001, and has served as Co-Medical Director for the past six months. During her time as Co-Medical Director, Lawson has shown a tremendous dedication to the organization’s Mission and Core Values, and has been a driving force in efforts to ensure effective and efficient service delivery and quality patient care. Lawson received her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Trinity University and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical College of Virginia.

Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care is based in Asheville, and has facilities located at 1201 Patton Avenue, 1812 Hendersonville Road, 155 Weaver Boulevard, and, effective April 1, at 77 Airport Road. Collectively these facilities served over 60,000 patients during 2008 and provided over $2.5 million in community benefit. More information on services and employment opportunities is available at: www.urgentcares.org.

Park Ridge Hospital and Sisters of Mercy Collaborate
 
Arden, NC (February 12, 2009)— Tim Johnston, President and CEO of Sisters of Mercy Services Corporation, and Jimm Bunch, President and CEO of Park Ridge Hospital are pleased to announce the operation of a new Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care at 77 Airport Road beginning April 1. This location is currently operated by Park Ridge Hospital as an Urgent Care facility. The Airport Road site offers patients, business, and industry convenience and access to quality treatment of minor illness and injuries by expanding Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care’s existing network which includes:

• Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care-West, 1201 Patton Avenue, Asheville
• Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care-North, 155 Weaver Boulevard, Weaverville
• Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care-South & Health Designs Occupational Medicine, 1812 Hendersonville Road, Asheville

“The collaboration of Park Ridge Hospital with Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care is a natural fit as these two faith-based organizations continue to meet the healthcare needs of WNC while focusing on their respective strengths,” noted Paul Tax, Executive Director of Operations for Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care. Jimm Bunch added, “We all need to focus on our core strengths to provide the highest quality service. This is what our friends at Sisters of Mercy do best.”

The Sisters of Mercy have owned and operated urgent care centers successfully in Buncombe County for nearly 30 years and served Western North Carolina’s healthcare and service needs since 1900. In addition to Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care, Sisters of Mercy Services Corporation includes ARP/Phoenix Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Services (Assessment, Treatment, Prevention and Crisis Stabilization/Detox), Mountain Health Contracting general contractors, and the Catherine McAuley MERCY Foundation. Additional information is available at www.somsc.org or www.urgentcares.org or by calling 828-210-2121.

Park Ridge Hospital is an acute care facility that has provided superior medical care with Christian compassion since 1910. The hospital is one of 37 hospitals in the U.S. belonging to Adventist Health System. For more information about Park Ridge Hospital, or about other hospital services, visit www.parkridgehospital.org. To request a copy of the Park Ridge Hospital Medical Staff Directory, contact the Business Development office at (828) 687-3947.