President Recognized for Industry Leadership

(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – August 12, 2004) Kim Horn, president and CEO of Priority Health, is the 2004 recipient of the Ellis J. Bonner Outstanding Achievement Award. This award, presented at the Annual Summer Conference of the Michigan Association of Health Plans (MAHP), is the health care industry’s highest honor. It recognizes those individuals who have made a significant impact on health care in Michigan and demonstrate exemplary service and leadership.

According to Rick Murdock, MAHP’s executive director, “From our observation, the last eight years under Kim's leadership, Priority Health has enjoyed dramatic growth and national recognition for exceptional customer service, innovative programs and superior clinical outcomes. She is driven to improve the value of the managed care industry by reducing health care costs and improving health outcomes. Her leadership in organizations like MAHP, the Michigan Women’s Foundation and Tomorrow’s Child enables Priority Health’s mission and Kim’s vision to reach people throughout Michigan.”

“This honor recognizes the hard work of many talented professionals at Priority Health,” noted Kim Horn in accepting this award. “Our core purpose is to provide people access to excellent and affordable health care. We never take this responsibility lightly and continually strive for new and innovative ways to improve the health of our members. This community benefits from the hard work of our board of directors and our extensive network of the area’s best health care providers. We greatly appreciate the support we receive from the employer groups who offer us to their employees.”

Horn is responsible for the strategic direction and overall operation of Priority Health. Horn, a native of Flint, Michigan, has an extensive background in healthcare. Before joining Priority Health, Horn held positions with Mercy Health Services of Farmington Hills, Genesee Memorial Hospital of Flint, and Health Plan of Mid-America of Kansas City, Mo. Horn is a graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in business administration.

Priority Health has over 438,000 members and is owned by Spectrum Health of Grand Rapids, Holland Community Hospital of Holland, Munson Healthcare of Traverse City and Healthshare, Inc. of Petoskey. The health plan enjoys “Excellent” accreditation from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, an independent organization that reviews the quality of health plans nationwide.