Deborah R. Simon appointed President and CEO

The Board of Directors of Methodist Health Services Corporation, the parent organization of Methodist Medical Center of Illinois, has announced the appointment of Deborah R. (Debbie) Simon as Methodist's President and Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Simon replaces Michael Bryant, who served as Methodist's President and CEO for 12 years.

In announcing the selection, Methodist Board Chair Karen Stumpe said, "The Board was impressed with the level of trust afforded Debbie by the employees, physicians, and our community. We've seen how her passion for the Methodist mission of delivering outstanding healthcare is energizing the organization, and we believe she is the right choice to lead Methodist to an even higher level of excellence."

In response to the Board's decision, Bill Leaver, President and CEO of Iowa Health System said, "Debbie's experience and credentials make her an outstanding choice to lead Methodist. We welcome Debbie as her experience at Methodist has prepared her well to lead Methodist into the future."

As of October 1, 2011, Methodist is a senior affiliate of Iowa Health System, based in Des Moines, Iowa.

Simon has been interim President and Chief Executive Officer since July 2011. With 34 years of health care leadership at Methodist, Simon has demonstrated commitment to organizational improvement, physician integration, financial stability and the enhancement of patient care. Simon, who began her nursing career with Methodist in 1976, has served as Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Nursing Officer, since 1999.

A resident of Pekin, Illinois, Simon has a BSN from the University of Illinois, an MBA from Bradley University, and is a Wharton Nurse Executive Fellow and a Henry Crown Leadership Fellow from the Aspen Institute. She is actively involved in the community, having served on several Boards including the Peoria and Pekin Area Chambers of Commerce, Advanced Medical Transport, National Council of Advisors for the Bradley University Foster College of Business, United Way and St. Jude. Simon is currently a member of the CEO Roundtable and the Boards of Quality Quest for Health and PeoriaNext. She is also a member of Grace United Methodist Church. Simon and her husband, Rick, have one son, David.

About Methodist Health Services Corporation:

Peoria, Ill.-based Methodist Health Services Corporation, a senior affiliate of Iowa Health System, is a single hospital integrated healthcare delivery system, with 37 sites serving 19 counties in Central Illinois, and annual revenues of $400 million. It includes Methodist Medical Center, a 329-bed tertiary hospital, with a staff of almost 600 board-certified physicians; Methodist Medical Group, a network of more than 150 primary care and specialty physicians including convenient Methodist MedPointe walk-in centers; and Methodist College of Nursing. Established in 1900, Methodist is nationally recognized for delivering outstanding healthcare. Methodist was the first hospital in downstate Illinois to be awarded Magnet designation for Excellence in Nursing Services, the nation’s highest honor in patient care, and has twice been named one of the 100 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals in the U.S. In 2010, Methodist was ranked among the Top 100 hospitals for major orthopedic surgery by CareChex, the most comprehensive independent ratings of hospital quality. In 2006 Methodist received the Lincoln Gold Award for Achievement of Excellence, the state of Illinois’ highest quality award. A leader in healthcare information technology, Methodist is among fewer than 10 percent of hospitals nationwide to fully implement Computerized Physician Order Entry and electronic medical records.