News Release - June 10, 2009

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Presbyterian Healthcare Services is pleased to announce that three of its employees, Charles Baumgart, M.D., Craig Nelson and J.J. Parsons, have recently been appointed to the 2009 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The Award is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a U.S. organization can receive. As examiners, the three appointees will be responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the award.

Dr. Baumgart serves as vice president and chief medical officer for Presbyterian Health Plan and has been working with Presbyterian since 1997. He received his medical degree from the University of Iowa in 1981. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Utah in 1984. Dr. Baumgart is board certified in Internal Medicine, Geriatrics and Utilization and Quality Management.

Nelson is a statistician for Presbyterian working in the Performance Excellence Department. Nelson has been a Baldrige examiner for Quality New Mexico every year since 1997. He has been a member of the Board of Directors for the Albuquerque Quality Network since 2000, and was chair of the board in 2007. Nelson holds a master’s degree in Applied Statistics from the University of New Mexico.

Parsons is the vice president of Performance Excellence for Presbyterian. She graduated from Ohio University earning a bachelor’s of science with honors in Journalism. Parsons has been a national examiner for four years and is serving this year as a senior examiner. She served as the chair of the Board of Directors, as well as, lead judge for Quality New Mexico, New Mexico’s state Baldrige organization.

Presbyterian serves to improve the health of individuals, families and communities. Presbyterian Healthcare Services was founded in New Mexico in 1908, and is the state’s only private, not-for-profit healthcare system. Presbyterian offers eight hospitals, a statewide health plan, and a growing multi-specialty medical group. Presbyterian employs more than 9,000 people throughout New Mexico.