Mercy taps Rhett Stover to lead its Northwest Arkansas operations

Health system Mercy announced Wednesday (Nov. 19) that Rhett Stover has been named president of Mercy Northwest Arkansas Communities. Ryan Gehrig, who was president for all Mercy Arkansas Communities, will now focus on Mercy Fort Smith.

Stover, who begins Dec. 1 with Mercy, returns to Mercy after leading Proactive MD, a Greenville, S.C.-based primary care network covering 22 states. Stover, who’s from Tulsa, Okla., will be based in Northwest Arkansas.

In his new role, he will lead operations and strategy for Mercy’s Northwest Arkansas hospitals and clinics. Mercy has 3,188 employees in Northwest Arkansas.

He will work with community leaders “to ensure Mercy continues its tradition of high-quality, compassionate care while building upon its legacy and plans for the future,” according to a news release. This includes a $700 million, 30-year collaboration with the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Heartland Whole Health Institute.

Gehrig’ Fort Smith focus will include the recent $186 million expansion of its emergency room and intensive care unit, and a $41 million cancer center addition that’s 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,” said David Argueta, Mercy’s senior vice president and president of community operations. “His steadfast commitment and vision have advanced our mission, supported our caregivers and ensured exceptional care for our patients. We are thankful to have his continued leadership focused on Mercy Fort Smith.”

Stover has worked in various leadership roles throughout his career, including CEO of Oklahoma State University Medicine. He previously was the chief administrative officer at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City and CEO of Oklahoma State University Medical Center in Tulsa, while it was managed by Mercy.

“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,” Argueta said. “His leadership aligns seamlessly with our commitment to excellence and service in the community.”

Stover serves on the board of directors for the Cherokee Nation Home Health Services. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration marketing at the University of Oklahoma and a master’s degree in health care administration at Oklahoma State University.

“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. “Having always been inspired by Mercy’s vision for health and healing, I’m humbled and eager to advance critical transformation initiatives that will create lasting impact for our patients across the Northwest Arkansas community and greater region for generations to come.”