ST. LOUIS: SSM Health Care promotes Friedman to VP of strategic development

Paula Friedman, SSM Health Care corporate vice president-strategy and systems improvement, will assume the post of senior vice president-strategic development. She succeeds Bill Thompson, who was recently named president/CEO of SSM Health Care. Both appointments are effective Aug. 1. Friedman, 46, has 26 years of healthcare experience, including 17 of them with SSMHC.