Red Cross Nabs Rick Panning for CEO Spot

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Former Fairview Laboratory Services president now leading local Red Cross Blood Services region

ST. PAUL (October 12, 2006) – Rick Panning has joined the local American Red Cross Blood Services region as chief executive officer (CEO). The St. Paul-based North Central region serves 109 hospitals in Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and Eastern South Dakota with blood and specialized laboratory services, and employs more than 600 people. He joins the 58-year old humanitarian organization with a successful career in healthcare management spanning 25 years.

“We were seeking a healthcare oriented, highly energetic and detailed individual grounded in the community for the role of CEO,” said David Mair, MD, senior medical director and former interim CEO. “Rick fits that bill. His healthcare experience, skills in organizational management and ties to the community are a boon for our donors, patients, hospitals, volunteers and employees.”

Panning comes to the Red Cross from Fairview Health Systems where he spent the last 12 years as president of its Laboratory Services. As president, he was responsible for administration and integration of seven hospital laboratories and 31 clinic laboratories in the Fairview system. He was also responsible for managing the partnership with the Red Cross, which supplies blood to Fairview Health Systems, including the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. Among his accomplishments, he introduced Lean management techniques in hospital laboratories and established a laboratory compliance program that has been a model for Fairview.

“I was always impressed with the magnitude of support the Red Cross provided to Fairview Health Systems,” Panning said. “As CEO for the leading blood supplier to hospitals in the region, I’m looking forward to helping the Red Cross serve more patients and hospitals while continuing to provide outstanding customer service to our donors, hospitals and volunteers.” To collect 230,000 units of blood needed annually to serve 109 hospitals in the region, the Red Cross operates six convenient Blood Donation Centers in the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Bloomington, Shoreview, St. Cloud and Eau Claire, Wisc. And in coordination with approximately 3,000 volunteer blood drive coordinators, the Red Cross also hosts more than 4,000 bloodmobiles each year.

Prior to his work at Fairview, Panning was marketing manager for HealthEast Laboratories from 1991-1994 and director of laboratory and EKG services at North Memorial Medical Center from 1984-1991. He also spent 1980-1984 at St. John’s Hospital in Saint Paul as hematology supervisor and then assistant laboratory administrator, and 1975-1980 with St. Paul-Ramsey Hospital as staff medical technologist. He earned his MBA in healthcare from the University of St. Thomas and his BS in medical technology from Mankato State University.

ABOUT THE RED CROSS
In addition to regional headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota, the American Red Cross Mid- America Division also has regional headquarters in Omaha, Neb., Madison, Wis., and Peoria, Ill. The Division relies on the generosity of more than 800,000 volunteer blood donors, nearly 6,200 blood drive coordinators and more than 1,800 employees to collect the blood that helps save thousands of lives each year. Together the Blood Services regions supply blood products to more than 250 hospitals in 10 states and across the nation. The Mid-America Division is one of 10 Red Cross Blood Services divisions located throughout the United States. Together, these divisions collect nearly half the nation’s blood supply.

Eligible donors are encouraged to call 1.800.GIVE.LIFE or go online to givebloodgivelife.org for more information about blood donation and to schedule an appointment to give the gift of life. On average, just 5 percent of eligible individuals donate blood despite that 95 percent of Americans will need blood at some point in their lives. Because each unit of blood is separated into three components – red cells, platelets and plasma - each donation can help to save up to three lives.

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