Forty Under 40: Rick Barclay

Rick Barclay has come back to his roots for what he calls his “dream job.” Barclay was born at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rogers and now helps manage human resources for Mercy Health System. nHe took the job in 1999 with his first task of bringing the 13 medical clinics and St. Mary’s Hospital under the same human resources system for payroll, employee policies and other issues. He’s now vice president of human resources for Mercy, and he couldn’t be happier. n”Being faith-based, Mercy has a real strong compassion for people and that makes it a neat place to be in human resources,” Barclay said. nBarclay earned a bachelor’s in business with a human resources emphasis from the University of Arkansas in 1991. He has worked for Arkansas health systems ever since, with the last five years at Mercy Health. Barclay agrees with Mercy’s approach to personnel “the more satisfied the staff is, the better care they’ll provide to the patients.” nBarclay said the team he works with helps keep him motivated for success. Mercy’s leadership under Susan Barrett also adds to his job satisfaction, he said, calling Barrett “an outstanding leader.”nIn his spare time, Barclay enjoys cycling and fly fishing. nn