Select Medical's President and Chief Operating Officer Named One of Top 25 Women in Healthcare for 2011

MECHANICSBURG, Pa., July 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Modern Healthcare has chosen Ms. Patricia Rice, Select Medical's chief operating officer and president, as one of the nation's leading women in healthcare. Ms. Rice was one of 25 women selected by the magazine for its annual list. She and other honorees will be recognized at an Atlanta gala this evening.

A native of Kentucky, Ms. Rice began her career with Select Medical in 1997, shortly after the company's founding. A nurse by training, Ms. Rice has used her extensive background in management and hospital operations to help Select Medical grow from a few dozen staff in central Pennsylvania to nearly 27,000 employees nationwide.

"At the senior management level, all we did was set strategic direction and then coach for success; our staff handled the rest," said Ms. Rice. "If my particular path played a role in these things, even a very small role, I am grateful for it."

"Pat has created a culture at Select Medical that promotes high-quality care above all else," said Rocco Ortenzio, chairman and co-founder of Select Medical. "I like to say she lives the values every day, and it shows. Our many patients over the years, as well as the people of Select Medical, have been fortunate to have Pat as the organization's chief operating officer. It truly makes us proud to see her recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the industry's top leaders."

Modern Healthcare reported receiving 324 nominations for this year's list. The five criteria used by judges were:

• Successfully served as a leader or managed an organization or company
• Has shown the ability or power to affect change in the healthcare industry
• Demonstrated a willingness to share expertise with others in the field
• Served as a role model or mentor to other female healthcare executives
• Assumed a leadership position in the industry outside of the candidates' own organization or company.

Other winners named to this year's list include corporate, non-profit, and trade association leaders, as well as leading government officials such as Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Mary Wakefield, administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, a division of HHS.  

About Select Medical

One of the nation's leading providers of post-acute care, Select Medical owns or operates more than 1,000 specialty hospitals and physical rehabilitation centers across the United States. It also manages patient care for healthcare clients at nearly 400 locations. The company employs more than 26,000 trained clinicians, administrators, and staff. The Select Medical family of brands includes Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, NovaCare, Select Specialty Hospitals, Select Physical Therapy, Regency Hospitals, Great Lakes Specialty Hospitals, and KORT, among many others. Its parent company is Select Medical Holdings Corporation, listed on the New York Stock Exchange as SEM. Founded in 1996, the company is based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. More information is available at Selectmedicalcorp.com.

SOURCE Select Medical