Strategic planning for a turnaround. A two-facility Missouri system recaptures the leadership position in its local market.

I n mid-1998, St. John's Regional Medical Center, Joplin, M O , found itself in a financial crisis. As a result, St. John's board of directors and its parent system, Cathol ic Health Init iat ives ( C H I ) , Denver, were forced to make a set of critical decisions to avert economic disaster. To recover its market dominance, St. John's new leaders obviously needed to launch and carry through a major turnaround initiative. In this article, we describe how that was done.