THOMAS J. STRAUSS
President and CEO
Summa Health System
525 East Market Street
P.O. Box 2090,
Akron, Ohio 44309-2090
www.summahealth.org

Thomas J. Strauss, as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Summa Health System, is responsible for the strategic and operational direction of the 963-bed health care system, which is located in Akron, Ohio. He is charged with leading the integrated health care delivery system, which is comprised of: one not-for-profit hospital corporation that operates Akron City and St. Thomas Hospitals; a separate not-for-profit osteopathic hospital, Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital; a health maintenance organization, SummaCare Health Plan; a limited liability physician-hospital organization, Summa Health Network; a not-for-profit foundation; and several community-based ambulatory care centers.

Until he joined Summa in 1999, Strauss was the president of Meridia Health Services and senior vice president of operations for Meridia Health System in Cleveland. As such, he provided overall leadership for the system's eight service lines, including: behavioral health; cardiology; digestive health; eye, ear, nose and throat; home care; oncology; rehabilitation and pain management; and women's and children's services. Strauss also held a number of other positions with Meridia, such as president of the eastern region, president of Meridia South Pointe Hospital, president of Meridia Suburban Hospital and president of Meridia Institute/Meridia Health Ventures.

Past positions that Strauss held with Baxter Healthcare Corporation include: vice president of Caremark Homecare, Inc.; zone director for Travacare Home Therapy; area operations manager for American Abbey Homecare; and branch manager of American ContinueCare. Prior to joining Baxter in 1983, Strauss was the assistant director of patient care modules at Allegheny General Hospital in his hometown of Pittsburgh, Penn.

Strauss holds a doctor of pharmacy degree from Duquesne University (Pittsburgh) and completed a residency in pharmacology at Mercy Hospital in 1978. A committed community member, Mr. Strauss is president of the Akron Regional Hospital Association and serves on the Board of Directors of the United Way of Summit County, Greater Akron Chamber, Akron Tomorrow, Akron Roundtable, and the Cleveland Health Network. Mr. Strauss was a board member of Hospice of the Western Reserve for eight years. He is currently an active supporter of Young Life, and he is an elder in the Presbyterian Church of America.

He and his wife, Susan, reside in Hudson, Ohio and have three sons.