With 16 hospitals and more than 80 clinics in Oklahoma, Mercy has announced plans to expand its outreach in the Sooner State.
“Mercy already has a strong presence in north Oklahoma City and Edmond,” said Mercy Hospital regional president, Di Smalley. “We are ready to provide that same level of patient care to those in south Oklahoma City and the surrounding communities.”
Leading that charge will be new chief administrative officer, David Whitaker, who has served as president and chief executive officer for Norman Regional Health System for the last 16 years. Before that, he served as the president and chief operating officer for United Regional Health Care System and Bethania Regional Health Care Center, both in Wichita Falls, Texas. Whitaker was recently elected incoming chairman of the Oklahoma Hospital Association.
“I am excited to be part of Mercy’s identity in Oklahoma City and in our state,” Whitaker says. “I look forward to expanding the excellent care that so many depend on from Mercy.”
Mercy already is well established in south Oklahoma City with the Oklahoma Heart Hospital, which opened at Interstate 240 and Sooner Road in January 2010. “We are always looking for ways to better care for and cater to our patients,” Smalley said. “David Whitaker and our newly created south Oklahoma City division will be a wonderful addition.”
“I am overjoyed to be a part of Mercy’s award-winning team, and I am thrilled to be back in the Catholic health care ministry,” Whitaker said.
Whitaker will join Mercy on Mar. 29.
