Local Mercy exec accepts out-of-state job

Brent Hubbard is returning to his home state of Oklahoma.

Local Mercy executive Brent Hubbard is exiting the health care system.

Hubbard, who serves as president and chief operating officer of Mercy Hospitals Springfield Communities, accepted a leadership position with a hospital system in Oklahoma City, according to a statement provided by Mercy spokesperson Sonya Kullmann.

"The move will return Hubbard and his family to their home state of Oklahoma, where he and his wife have siblings, parents, nieces and nephews," the statement reads. "Hubbard has led Mercy Springfield through challenging times – like the pandemic – and also great times, including the construction and opening of Mercy Heart Hospital Springfield and the Mercy Kids Emergency Room."

Hubbard's last day is tentatively set for April 20. Craig McCoy, president of Mercy Springfield Communities, is slated to assume Hubbard’s responsibilities on an interim basis. Plans for a search process have not yet been formed, Kullmann said.

In his role, Hubbard oversees all hospitals within Mercy Springfield communities: facilities in Springfield, Aurora, Cassville, Lebanon and Mountain View, Kullmann said.

Hubbard joined Mercy Springfield in 2016, after serving the health care system in Fort Smith, Arkansas, according to the statement.

"While the Mercy Springfield Communities team is sad to see him go, they wish him and his family the very best," the statement reads.

Hubbard has been actively engaged in community relations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, often appearing alongside the Springfield-Greene County Health Department to give updates.

In July 2021, Hubbard announced Mercy Springfield Communities was the first health care system in southwest Missouri to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for employees, according to past reporting.