As Mercy continues to grow and care for more patients in the communities it serves, focusing on hiring, recruiting and retaining its co-workers is a key strategy. Mercy today announced a new leader of human resources operations and strategic initiatives, Catherine Codispoti, for the health system's multi-state region. Codispoti will join Mercy's senior leadership team as senior vice president and chief people officer beginning Dec. 1, 2023.

"I lead with my heart, and it was evident in my interactions with co-workers and leaders at Mercy that they do, too."

"We're very excited about what this means for Mercy. Catherine is an exceptionally talented health system strategist who brings her unique passion and experience to our team of more than 40,000 physicians and co-workers in seven states," said Steve Mackin, president and CEO at Mercy. "She understands the daily life of frontline co-workers and will help us bring solutions that drive empowerment and long-term career planning at all levels, as Mercy continues to innovate recruitment, hiring and retention of the best people to serve our communities with high quality, low-cost health care."
Codispoti currently serves as chief people officer at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where she leads human resources for a team of 8,500. Prior to Children's National, she held a variety of financial and organizational leadership positions over 13 years at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, including director of corporate financial planning, director of clinical planning and financial management and most recently, vice president of human resources.

"I lead with my heart, and it was evident in my interactions with co-workers and leaders at Mercy that they do, too. I'm elated to join this incredible organization in serving communities by supporting our most important asset, our people," Codispoti said. "As the chief people officer, I'm committed to nurturing a workplace where every co-worker can thrive – both personally and professionally – through a harmonious blend of empathy and strategic vision."

Codispoti will lead the human resources team across Mercy to serve Mercy co-workers through compensation and benefits, co-worker health, DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging), organizational effectiveness, talent acquisition and talent relations.

She will be relocating to St. Louis from Washington, D.C., with her husband Austin, their three children and their dog Zorro.

Mercy, one of the 20 largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health, serves millions annually with nationally recognized quality care and one of the nation's largest Accountable Care Organizations. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state health care system including more than 40 acute care, managed and specialty (heart, children's, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, convenient and urgent care locations, imaging centers and pharmacies. Mercy has 900 physician practices and outpatient facilities, more than 4,000 physicians and advanced practitioners and more than 40,000 co-workers serving patients and families across Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

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