Ken DeFurio Named President & CEO of Butler Health System

January 4, 2007 - (BUTLER, PA) - The Board of Trustees of Butler Health System has named Ken DeFurio President & Chief Executive Officer.

DeFurio, 42, had been serving in an interim CEO capacity with the health system since the retirement of former CEO Joseph A. Stewart.

“Based on the results Ken has produced over the years at Butler Memorial Hospital, we have always had great confidence in his abilities,” said William D. Bessor, Chairman of the BHS Board of Trustees. “His performance while serving in an interim capacity has shown us that he is clearly the man to lead our hospital and health system into the future. Ken has been highly sought after by other health systems across the country. We are very pleased that he will be serving Butler.”

DeFurio, who was born at Butler Hospital, is charged with developing a new Butler Health System for the delivery of 21st century care. In November, he and the Board of Trustees revealed a plan that will add a new inpatient tower to the hospital’s current Brady St. campus, expand outpatient delivery locations, and invest significantly in information technology to link BHS locations, physicians and patients.

“The development of the plan, the success in announcing it to the community, and his longstanding success in planning and implementing many projects have helped lead us to this decision,” said Bessor.

“I’m genuinely excited about this opportunity,” said DeFurio. “This is an outstanding organization and it has a deep commitment to the community it serves. I will do my best to assure that doctors and employees have the resources they need so that Butler Memorial continues to be one of the best hospitals.”

DeFurio began his career at Butler Memorial Hospital in 1986 as a respiratory therapist. He then left for the University of Maryland Medical System in Baltimore where he served as assistant director of respiratory therapy, supervising a staff of 90 in a large healthcare system that served as the shock-trauma center for the entire state of Maryland.

He returned to BMH in 1989 as assistant director of respiratory therapy; he was promoted to director of rehabilitation and respiratory care services in 1990. In 1996 he joined the administrative team of the hospital as Vice President of Outpatient Services and was then promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2003.

During his tenure at BMH, DeFurio increased outpatient market share by 40 percent through the development of a 15-location network of outpatient service locations. He also developed the Center for Sleep Disorder at BMH and led the implementation of the hospital’s digital radiology system. BMH was one of the first hospitals in the state to implement a digital radiology system.