 The system started in 1999 with the merger of the Providence Health System and the St. John Health System into the St. John Health System due to the merger of the two systems' respective Roman Catholic congregation sponsors, the Daughters of Charity and the Sisters of St. Joseph, into Ascension Health.The St. John Hospital System, under Anthony R. Tersigni, grew from four to ten hospitals.In May 2000 he was appointed as the senior vice president of Ascension Health's Great Lakes Division.