Mercy Health named Rhett Stover the president of Mercy Northwest Arkansas Communities, based in Rogers, effective Dec. 1.
Stover returns to Mercy after most recently leading Proactive MD, an advanced primary care network in 22 states.
“With Rhett’s strong track record of leading quality health care systems and driving meaningful transformation, he brings exactly the kind of visionary leadership Mercy Northwest Arkansas needs in this time of remarkable growth and opportunity,” said David Argueta, Mercy’s senior vice president and president of community operations.
Stover will lead operations for Mercy’s hospitals and clinics across Northwest Arkansas. He will work closely with community leaders and organizations, including a 30-year collaboration with the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Heartland Whole Health Institute.
Previously, Stover was chief executive officer of Oklahoma State University Medicine, chief administrative officer at Mercy Hospital, Oklahoma City and CEO of Oklahoma State University Medical Center in Tulsa when it was managed by Mercy.
“Serving alongside such an exceptional team of physicians and caregivers, I am honored to partner with our talented team at every level to carry forward the great progress underway in Northwest Arkansas,” Stover said.
Stover earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing at the University of Oklahoma and a master’s degree in health care administration at Oklahoma State University.
With growth in both Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith, Ryan Gehrig, who recently served as president for all Mercy Arkansas Communities, will now focus full-time on Mercy Fort Smith, including the recent $186 million expansion of its emergency room and intensive care unit, as well as a $41 million cancer center addition currently under construction.
“We are deeply grateful for Ryan’s dedicated leadership guiding all the Mercy Arkansas Communities through this time of growth. He carried that responsibility with remarkable grace,” Argueta said.
