Edward Sim Named As Incoming Administrator of Baptist Medical Center Beaches

Jacksonville, Florida, December 17, 2008 -- John Wilbanks, chief operating officer of Baptist Health, announced today that Edward Sim, vice president of operations at Baptist Medical Center, has been named as incoming administrator of Baptist Medical Center Beaches. On February 1, 2009, Sim will assume the hospital's top administrative leadership position, currently held by Baptist Beaches Administrator Mark Slyter.

Sim has been a member of Baptist Health's senior leadership for more than three years and as vice president of operations is responsible for Baptist Medical Center's Imaging, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Neurosciences, Endoscopy, Pulmonology and Rehabilitation departments, along with Baptist Cancer Institute, Jacksonville Orthopaedic Institute, Baptist Outpatient Center and Bloodless Medicine. He previously served as chief business development officer at North Fulton Regional, a Tenet Hospital in Roswell, Georgia.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics from Boston University, Sim received a master's degree in pathology and laboratory medicine from Albany Medical College in New York, and a master's in business administration (MBA) from The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Baptist Health president and CEO Hugh Greene commented, "I wholeheartedly endorse Eddie as the incoming Administrator of Baptist Beaches; there is no doubt in my mind that he's the right fit in terms of capability, personality and intellect. Eddie has brought tremendous energy and foresight to our organization and will continue to build upon the remarkable results Mark Slyter and his team have achieved."

John Wilbanks, chief operating officer of Baptist Health, stated, "This is truly an instance of transitioning from strength to strength. With Mark's gift for 'hardwiring excellence,' and Eddie's gift for building strong relationships, I am confident that the Baptist Beaches team won't miss a beat in providing the very best care and service to patients and families."

John Anderson, chairman of the Board of Directors at Baptist Beaches, added, "We are excited about taking our plans for growth and improvement to the next level at Baptist Beaches, and confident that Eddie will provide excellent leadership in that regard. At the same time, we applaud Mark for the tremendous impact he has made on the quality of health care delivery in the Beaches community. We wish him well."

Slyter plans to leave his current position to join Baptist Health Systems in Jackson, Mississippi as its executive vice president and chief operating officer. In his new role, Slyter will serve as president of the Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, a 564-bed, tertiary hospital among the largest in the state. The Mississippi-based health system is not connected to Baptist Health of Northeast Florida, which is community-owned and locally governed.

Slyter states, "I have greatly enjoyed serving our Beaches community and working alongside our board, donors, physicians and staff. While I will miss my colleagues and friends here, this is a great opportunity for professional growth that will allow my wife and me to move closer to family -- an important advantage, since we just had our first baby!"

Sim and Slyter will work closely throughout December and January to ensure continuity of leadership and a smooth transition. "I am looking forward to leading Baptist Medical Center Beaches," says Sim. "There are many opportunities to build upon the great work that is already being done. My family and I are excited to be part of the Beaches community."