K-State's College of Business Administration spring 2007 distinguished lecturer Neal Patterson of Cerner to speak April 10

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News release prepared by: Katie Schurman, 785-532-2753, schurman@k-state.edu

Thursday, March 29, 2007

K-STATE'S COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SPRING 2007 DISTINGUISHED LECTURER NEAL PATTERSON OF CERNER TO SPEAK APRIL 10

MANHATTAN -- Neal Patterson, chairman of the board, chief executive officer and co-founder of Cerner Corp., will be the spring 2007 speaker for the College of Business Administration's Distinguished Lecture Series at Kansas State University.

His presentation will be at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 10, in Forum Hall at the K-State Student Union. The lecture is free and the public is invited.

Patterson's entrepreneurial journey began in late 1979 when he and two colleagues formed Cerner. As CEO, he has spearheaded more than a quarter century of Cerner's growth, from its inception to its current position as the nation's largest stand-alone health care information technology company. Cerner earns more than $1 billion in revenues annually and employs more than 7,500 associates in 17 countries, including about 4,500 associates in the Kansas City metropolitan area, home of its world headquarters. In 2005, Cerner Corp. was the largest employer of K-State College of Business Administration graduates.

Patterson has been named as one of Modern Healthcare's annual "100 Most Powerful People in Health Care" for the last four years. Patterson earned a bachelor's degree in finance and a master's degree in business administration from Oklahoma State University. He speaks across the country about health care information systems and is a frequent panelist and presenter for health care conferences and forums. He serves as a trustee of the Midwest Research Institute and is on the advisory board of RAND Health, the nation's largest independent health policy research organization.

"Neal Patterson is one of the Midwest's most creative and successful entrepreneurs," said Yar M. Ebadi, dean of K-State's College of Business Administration. "He and his partners began Cerner Corp. with little more than a vision, and today Cerner is the nation's largest health care information technology company. The college is honored to have Neal Patterson share his passion for entrepreneurship with our students as our spring 2007 Distinguished Lecturer."

Patterson also is co-founder and serves on the executive board of the First Hand Foundation, Cerner's nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to children with critical health care needs. He is an active participant in local entrepreneurial organizations and serves as chairman of the board of directors for the 107-year-old American Royal. In 2006, Patterson made headlines as a principle investor in the six-person OnGoal LLC, the group that purchased the Kansas City Wizards Major League Soccer team.