1898
In August, five Sisters of Mercy arrive in Ardmore, Oklahoma, which was then part of the Chickasaw Nation. The growing town needs educational opportunities for children from Chickasaw and Choctaw families, as well as those drawn to the area by trade and railroad construction.
A Choctaw widower donates land for a school, and Mother Katharine Drexel helps provide funding. The Sisters teach in Ardmore for nearly 70 years, continuing their ministry until declining enrollment closes the school in 1967.
1947
After World War II, community leaders recognize the need for better access to hospital care in Ardmore and throughout southern Oklahoma. In 1947, the Ardmore Chamber of Commerce makes construction of a new hospital one of its top priorities.
1955
Memorial Hospital of Southern Oklahoma opens in 1955 as a community-run hospital, providing a new source of local care for residents of Ardmore and the surrounding region. More than 1,600 individuals donated to make this dream a reality, and their names were on display at the hospital’s open house.
1989
A $3.5 million dollar renovation begins. The ICU and the Labor and Delivery unit are completely redesigned to provide better patient care. The number of private rooms increases from 23 to 50.
1996
Memorial Hospital of Southern Oklahoma becomes part of the Sisters of Mercy Health System, and is renamed Mercy Memorial Health Center.
2007
Southern Oklahoma Medical Plaza opens with support from the Southern Oklahoma Medical Foundation, adding new space for medical services on the Ardmore campus.
2010
Construction finishes on a six-story, 158-bed patient tower spanning approximately 184,000 square feet. The project adds private patient rooms, expands women's health services and intensive care capacity, and provides additional parking.
2011
Mercy Cancer Center – Ardmore opens, bringing medical oncology, chemotherapy and radiation oncology services closer to patients in southern Oklahoma.
2012
Mercy Memorial Health Center becomes Mercy Hospital Ardmore. The new name reflects its connection to Mercy’s wider ministry
2015
Mercy Primary Care – Commerce Street opens, providing primary care services for adults and children in the Ardmore community.
Mercy Hospital Ardmore adds a new primary care clinic with three providers as part of continued growth in the region.
2025
Lone Grove Clinic opens a new primary care location serving patients of all ages.
Mercy Rehabilitation Services – Admore relocates its existing inpatient rehabilitation unit from the south campus to the hospital tower. The $2 million project, supported by $1.75 million from the Southern Oklahoma Memorial Foundation, brings rehabilitation services closer to other inpatient care.
Mercy Hospital Ardmore adds a new primary care clinic with three providers as part of continued growth in the region.
