William M. Jennings became Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of SSM St. Mary's Health Center in March 2006. Before coming to St. Mary's, Jennings served as chief operating officer for Morton Plant North Bay Hospital in New Port Richey, Fla.

While at Morton Plant North Bay Hospital, Jennings oversaw the transition of the hospital from a for-profit/not-for-profit joint venture to Morton Plant-owned community hospital. Among his many accomplishments, he planned and implemented a medical cardiology program and combined cardiovascular center; and helped the hospital’s physician satisfaction rate increase by 30 percent, while increasing patient satisfaction 13 percent. Jennings holds a Master of Health Administration degree from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio; and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He is married with two children.