St. Louis, MO– Following a nationwide search, the SSM Health Board of Directors has selected Laura Kaiser as the health system’s new President/Chief Executive Officer. Kaiser will begin with SSM Health on May 1 and replace William P. Thompson, who will retire at the end of April after 37 years of service with the organization. Kaiser is an accomplished health care executive with more than 30 years of experience in improving clinical quality and patient satisfaction, fueling operational performance and growth, and successfully facilitating health care integration. She comes to SSM Health from Intermountain Healthcare, where she has served as Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for the past five years. Prior to Intermountain Healthcare, Kaiser spent 15 years at Ascension Health, serving in a number of leadership roles, including Ministry Market Leader of the Gulf Coast/Florida region for Ascension and President/CEO at Sacred Heart Health System.