2021 Health Care Champions Administrator: Craig McCoy

Craig McCoy arrived in the Queen City to lead Mercy Springfield Communities just weeks before COVID-19 flipped the health care world upside down. Despite the daunting task, McCoy says he was able to guide staff and innovate protocols to help Mercy provide the care the community needed.

“I was forced to quickly learn the capabilities of a large health system and evaluate our crisis capacity,” McCoy says.

As the president of Mercy, McCoy has to establish trust not only with others in the health care system, but also with key leaders in the community. One way he did this was serving on a task force that informed and advised the mayor and city council.

At the start of the pandemic, McCoy had to ensure Mercy was prepared to serve the community and combat COVID-19 in the best ways possible. He worked with executive leadership and physicians across Mercy Springfield Communities to build a plan that enabled its nine hospitals and more than 125 clinics to work together.

He also ensured clear and consistent communication across the Mercy system. The executive team held daily debriefings that focused on responding and reacting to current issues, as well as preparing for future ones. Video conferences were also held on a daily basis to allow more than 300 Mercy leaders to communicate operational issues.

Through the pandemic, McCoy says the health system has gained a new focus on innovating and improving care options. Video visits for patients and an enhanced patient-facing triage called Mercy on Call are just a couple of the positive changes spurred by the pandemic.

“We want to be able to care for whatever needs the community has, right here at home,” McCoy says. “That means adding technology, services, and even more care experts to our regional and Springfield hospitals.”

One way Mercy is putting this focus into action is with the opening of the $7.5 million Mercy Kids Emergency Room, which is staffed by a variety of pediatric specialists and will expand Mercy’s services for children in southwest Missouri.

Mercy’s mission of “bringing to life the healing ministry of Jesus through our compassionate care and exceptional service” is a goal McCoy shares and places a lot of value in achieving.

“We must partner with, and financially contribute to, like-minded community organizations who serve the marginalized in our community,” McCoy says.

Earlier this year, Mercy partnered with nonprofit Arc of the Ozarks to establish an Autism Diagnosis and Treatment Clinic in Mercy’s Branson Multispecialty Clinic. After the soft launch in March 2021, McCoy says the clinic is seeing rapid growth and success in helping families get the help they need.

Outside of his work at Mercy, McCoy serves on the boards for several organizations, including Lost & Found Grief Center, Faith Community Health and Integrity Home Care & Hospice. These groups give him a chance to use his health care experience to vouch for critical resources for community members.

McCoy says Faith Community Health offers health care at low cost to community members who may otherwise be unable to afford it, and Lost & Found provides counseling services, which are an invaluable resource to those struggling with loss.

“I see my role as a part of the bigger health care picture to serve the community and to provide health care to all those in need,” McCoy says.