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Michael Schwartzberg, GBMC Media Relations Manager
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GBMC Names New Members Of Executive Leadership Team

BALTIMORE, Md. – July 21, 2006 – Greater Baltimore Medical Center has made two appointments to its leadership team and also promoted an executive to vice president.

John Ellis has been named senior vice president - corporate strategy & business development, and will be responsible for business development, corporate strategy, managed care, physician relations and Greater Baltimore Medical Associates, an employed physician enterprise. 

Ellis formerly served as a vice president for Radiologix, the largest vendor of radiology services in Maryland with 23 centers and 85 physicians; as executive vice president - finance and administration at St. Joseph Medical Center; and as chief financial officer at Maryland General Hospital.  Ellis and his wife reside in Ellicott City, Md.

“John brings a wealth of broad-based experience in corporate strategy, physician practice management, hospital and physician partnerships and financial and operational expertise,” said Laurence M. Merlis, GBMC’s president and chief executive officer.

Mark Thomas assumes the role of vice president - human resources & organizational development, where he will be responsible for overseeing the human resources efforts of Baltimore County’s largest private-sector employer (3,500+ FTEs), advancing GBMC’s implementation of the High 5 Customer Service initiative and continuing efforts to make GBMC an employer of choice. 

Thomas, a resident of Towson, has more than 30 years of human resources experience, including serving as a senior HR executive with community hospitals and large integrated healthcare systems.  Thomas served as vice president of human resources for Alegent Health, an integrated system of nine hospitals, 8,000 employees and a 130-member primary care group based in Omaha, Ne.; and as regional vice president of human resources of the 5,200 employee Franciscan Health System of the Ohio Valley in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“Mark has been able to develop a strategic perspective for human resources in each organization that has resulted in excellent and measurable results in recruitment, retention, staff development, turnover, employee relations and workforce planning for the future.  Mark also brings a systems and change management expertise that involves a team focus that engages management and staff in getting things accomplished,” Merlis said.

Tressa Springmann has been promoted from the position of chief information officer, which she has held since 2004, to vice president and chief information officer. During Springmann’s tenure as CIO, GBMC implemented Meditech, an integrated software system for healthcare organizations, in all clinical areas.

“Tressa’s leadership in information technology has allowed GBMC to move forward, in an organized and integrated approach, with many new IT applications,” said Merlis.  “Tressa has exhibited the knowledge, skills and critical thinking throughout her tenure at GBMC which has made a significant difference in this important area.”  Springmann, a resident of Glenwood in Howard County, has been a staff member of GBMC’s Management Information Systems department since 1989.

GBMC includes Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), Central Maryland’s leading community hospital; Hospice of Baltimore, which provides comfort and care to patients with life-limiting illnesses; the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Community Health Center, which offers comprehensive health and family services to the residents of East Baltimore; and the GBMC Foundation, which supports the GBMC mission by managing fundraising efforts.  The 292-bed Medical Center, located on a beautiful suburban campus, serves nearly 22,000 inpatients annually and provides approximately 50,000 emergency room visits. For more information, go to www.gbmc.org

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