Sr. Mary Jean Ryan, Franciscan Sister of Mary, is president/chief executive officer of SSM Health Care (SSMHC), one of the largest Catholic healthcare systems in the United States, with 23,000 employees and 5,000 affiliated physicians serving in 21 hospitals and 3 nursing homes. This year SSMHC became the first healthcare recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. During her 16-year tenure, Sr. Mary Jean has emphasized three key themes: preservation of the earth's resources, valuing ethnic and gender diversity, and commitment to continuous quality improvement (CQI). She is co-author of CQI and the Renovation of an American Health Care System: A Culture Under Construction, published by ASQ Quality Press in 1997. Sr. Mary Jean has received numerous honors, including the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Award from the National Conference of Community and Justice; (one of) 20 Distinguished Women/St. Louis area; Governor's Quality Leadership Award (Missouri); (one of) 25 Most Influential Women in Business in St. Louis; and the Corporation that Makes a Difference Award from the International Women's Forum. She serves on a number of healthcare and local, state, and national boards. She received a master's degree in hospital and health administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati. She is a nurse and has been a Franciscan Sister of Mary for more than 40 years.