Title:  President and Chief Executive Officer

 

Organization:   Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas

 

Location:  Rogers, AR

 

Contact Method:  MHS@divsearch.com

 

Description:    Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas (MHS-NWA) is a not-for-profit, Catholic-sponsored, integrated healthcare network composed of the following:  Mercy Medical Center, a newly constructed 200-bed acute care facility, offering a vast array of medical specialties; Mercy Health Center, a 75,000 square foot medical services facility located in Bentonville, Arkansas and offering family medicine, in addition to a wide range of outpatient services; and Mercy Medical Clinics, a multi-specialty group employing 80 physicians and 14 nurse practitioners practicing out of 20 clinic locations.  Located in the competitive Northwest corridor of Arkansas, MHS-NWA is the third largest employer in the area.  As the only truly integrated delivery network in the area and anchored by its state-of-the-art hospital, Mercy is guided by seven strategic initiatives: Mercy Service; Operations Accountability; Physician Relations and Alignment; Access; Strategic Growth; Innovative Clinical Technology; and Information Enablement.

 

Opened in March, 2008, Mercy Medical Center is a $145 million, 350,000-square-foot campus and is one of the more technologically advanced hospitals in the country, including a new electronic health record system. From a statistical perspective, the medical center reports the following: discharges–9,400; outpatient visits and procedures–85,000; ER visits–36,000; deliveries–1,400.  Additionally, Mercy Medical Clinics report 250,000 patient visits annually.

 

MHS-NWA is a member of the Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy). Headquartered in St. Louis, Mercy includes 18 acute care hospitals in 7 states, one heart hospital, more than 800 integrated physicians, several long-term care facilities, and numerous outpatient facilities. In FY08, Mercy reported total net revenues exceeding $3.5 billion.  The system operates with an Aa2 credit rating from Moody’s Investors Services and an AA- credit rating from Standard & Poor’s.

 

Reporting to Kim Day, the Senior Vice President – Regional Markets and President/Chief Executive Officer of St. John’s Health System and working in collaboration with the MHS-NWA Board of Directors, the new President/Chief Executive Officer will be responsible for the strategic leadership and direction of the integrated network; the stewardship of resources in order to ensure continued achievement of the network’s mission and vision; and, in partnership with Mercy physicians, the pursuit of clinical excellence and patient safety initiatives as well as the further development and implementation of a regional network which expands upon the market position of MHS-NWA. 

 

Key to the success of this position will be the ability to provide leadership to MHS-NWA’s efforts to position itself strategically in its local/regional markets and to continue to enhance the organization’s identity as a regional network, with services and centers of excellence which meet the needs of communities which expect an increasingly sophisticated and quality-driven level of care. In this context, the President/CEO will provide the galvanizing and visionary leadership required to build upon the opportunities associated with the new, state-of-the-art hospital and the highly credentialed medical group.

 

Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas is seeking candidates who present with a medical degree and/or a master’s degree in healthcare, business administration, or a related field; senior executive officer level experience in an integrated delivery system located in a competitive market; a demonstrated track record in partnering with medical staff and developing creative physician alignment strategies; and proven strategic and operational skills.  The ability to lead in the context of a large multi-state healthcare system will be required.  The new President/CEO will likewise bring the following: demonstrated leadership and visioning skills; an entrepreneurial bent with a strong orientation towards growth; a track record in and commitment to playing an active and contributing role within the local community; the ability to translate vision into operations; a people person; and exceedingly effective and authentic relational skills.  In all of the above, a personal presence which is driven by honesty, integrity, and the ability to inspire and motivate others to promote the philosophy, mission, goals, and values of the Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of Mercy Health System will be essential. 

 

Northwest Arkansas, officially the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), is the economic and demographic growth engine for the state of Arkansas. The MSA has a population of 368,000 and is one of the fastest growing MSA’s in the nation.  Known for its diverse and rapidly growing economy, and for its pioneering public/private partnerships, Northwest Arkansas is home to the world headquarters of Wal-Mart (Fortune #1), Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt Transportation, as well as local offices of numerous of Fortune 500 companies and service industries. The vibrant communities of Northwest Arkansas offer numerous cultural and recreational opportunities. The area is likewise known for its natural beauty and ample opportunities exist for outdoor pursuits such as golf, boating, fishing, and hiking. In 2008, Outdoor Life ranked Rogers as #20 of Top 200 Towns for Outdoorsmen.