CONTACT: Ann Blackford, (859) 257-1754, Ext. 230

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CONTACT: Ann Blackford, (859) 257-1754, ext. 230

FOR RELEASE

Smith Named Chief Administrative Officer for UK Chandler Hospital

LEXINGTON, Ky. (May 13, 2009) − Ann Smith has been named chief administrative officer for the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital, after serving in that role on an interim basis since September 2008. Smith reports to Dr. Richard Lofgren, UK HealthCare’s vice president for healthcare operations and chief clinical officer. Smith is assuming responsibility for inpatient services provided at the 489-bed regional referral center located on the university’s campus in Lexington. She has extensive experience in hospital operations and administration, serving for seven years prior to her interim appointment as an associate hospital director at UK Chandler Hospital with administrative and fiscal oversight of perioperative services, the UK Transplant Center, Center for Advanced Surgery, the Kentucky Neurosciences Institute, cardiovascular services, digestive health services and orthopaedics. “As the flagship of the UK HealthCare system, Chandler Hospital poses perhaps our greatest opportunity and our greatest challenge,” said Lofgren. “Given Ann’s proven dedication to UK and Chandler Hospital and her well-established working relationship with the hospital’s faculty physicians and staff, we are fortunate to have in her a leader who already understands the hospital’s enormous potential and can quickly move to meet its challenges.” Smith, a 1977 graduate of the UK College of Allied Health (now Health Sciences), began her career as a registered medical technologist in UK's hematology

An Equal Opportunity University clinical laboratory. After serving in a variety of roles within the clinical laboratory and completing a master’s degree from UK’s Martin School of Public Administration, Smith was promoted to lab manager. In 1999 she was appointed diagnostic services director and then in 2002 she became an associate hospital director. Her leadership of UK Chandler Hospital will include overseeing the operations of Kentucky Children's Hospital, Markey Cancer Center, Gill Heart Institute and other services. These areas support the activities of more than 800 UK physicians representing a broad spectrum of subspecialty care, including a Level I adult and pediatric trauma center, a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, accredited stroke and epilepsy centers and a number of other advanced clinical services providing care to people from throughout Kentucky and beyond. “These are truly challenging times for leaders, especially leaders of hospitals and other health care institutions,” Smith said. “Even so, I’m a fervent believer in UK Chandler Hospital and its clinicians and staff, and I have the privilege of leading a great institution to becoming an even greater institution as we open a new state-of-the-art hospital that will set the standard for acute care in Kentucky. I couldn’t be more enthusiastic and ready to show the community what I’ve known all along - Chandler Hospital provides excellent care to people with very serious medical issues.” Smith assumes leadership of more than 3,000 employees, an operating budget of more than $400 million and services to patients, which encompassed 46,000 emergency department visits and 26,000 patient discharges last year. The Lexington resident is a native of Columbia, Tenn. She is married and has two daughters. The elder is a student at UK and the younger is a student at Northern Kentucky University.

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