Mercy Hospital Springfield
1886
A group of 75 local women organize a Hospital Aid Society, with the goal of opening a hospital in Springfield. Dr. J.E. Tefft encourages the group to invite the Sisters of Mercy to administer the hospital. Dr. Tefft served as an Army Surgeon for the Union during the Civil War and was cared for by the Sisters of Mercy in St. Louis when he contracted typhoid fever. Dr. Tefft was so moved by the compassionate care he received that he knew the Sisters were the right choice to serve the Springfield community.
1891
Sisters M. Alacoque Kelley, M. Xavier Kinsella and M. Stanislaus Tennelly travel by stagecoach from St. Louis to Springfield. A small gray brick house with eight rooms becomes both their home and hospital. The four-bed hospital welcomes its first patient on November 6. A few days later, a local physician visits and finds the hospital in "perfect order," praising the Sisters for their preparation to care for the sick and suffering.
Before arriving, the Sisters had been told that a house had been bought for them, but they did not realize that it had not yet been paid for. The Sisters quickly start raising money to pay off their building. Those first years were financially difficult due to a lack of community support. Springfield was a predominantly Protestant town and many regarded the Sisters with suspicion.
Despite limited supplies and equipment, the Sisters met challenges with creativity and determination. They fashioned their first stretcher from the door of a chicken coop and used a wash basin as a sterilizer. They sat on orange crates and maintained a garden and livestock to help feed themselves and their patients. Through their resourcefulness and perseverance, they built a foundation for a healing ministry that would continue to grow.
1899
Families are torn apart when smallpox spreads throughout Springfield. People with the disease are forced into quarantine and are sent to live in “pest camps” outside the city limits. Two Sisters of Mercy, Sr. Mary Veronica Fitzpatrick and Sr. Mary Xavier Kinsella, volunteer to self-quarantine to care for sick patients in the camps. They stay there for nine months until the epidemic subsides. This act of selflessness builds trust in the community, and many people start supporting the Sisters and their ministries.
1905
The Sisters open a new 40-bed hospital, and in 1906, establish a nursing school, expanding both patient care and health care education in Springfield. In 1923, a new wing was added, increasing the total bed capacity to 105.
1947
Sister Xavier Halloran purchases an 11-acre tract of land on National Avenue for a new hospital site. Many criticize the decision, believing that the new site was “out in the middle of nowhere.”
1952
The third St. John’s Hospital opens at its current location on Cherokee Street, establishing the campus that continues to serve the Springfield community today. St. John’s begins providing physical, occupational and respiratory therapy. In 1953, St. John’s becomes the first hospital in Southwest Missouri to offer psychiatric care.
1978
St. John’s Hospital is renamed St. John’s Regional Health Care to better reflect the array of services offered at St. John’s. A new outpatient surgery facility opens.
1981
A $20 million expansion and renovation transforms St. John's, making it the largest privately-owned hospital in southern Missouri.
1986
After prayerful reflection, the Sisters of Mercy decide to form the Sisters of Mercy Health System, joining together thirteen hospitals across seven states. The formation of the health system allows the Sisters to strengthen sponsorship, maximize resources, pursue a unified strategic direction and explore new and innovative ways to serve. One of the system’s early mission leaders, Sister Juliana Casey, IHM, spoke about this transition, saying, “It was time. It was a moment of the Spirit. It was what we needed to do.”
1990s
St. John's continues to expand specialty care throughout the 1990s. Hammons Heart Institute (1987) and the St. John’s Cancer Center (1991) become part of a growing network that also includes sports medicine and rehabilitation, emergency medical services and Life Line medical helicopter service.
Several physician office buildings also become part of St. John's operations as the campus continues to grow.
2006
A new Surgery Center opens, expanding access to surgical services in Springfield.
2009
The Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center opens as a St. Jude Affiliate Clinic, bringing specialized pediatric cancer services to children and families in the region.
2012
St. John's is renamed Mercy Hospital Springfield, carrying the hospital's long tradition of service forward under the Mercy name.
2013
Mercy Kids Children's Hospital opens in the east wing of the main hospital, creating a dedicated space for children's care on the Springfield campus.
Mercy Orthopedic Hospital Springfield opens with 48 patient beds, bringing orthopedic surgery, treatment and recovery together in a new specialty hospital.
2014
Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital Springfield opens with 60 patient beds, expanding dedicated inpatient rehabilitation services for the region.
2020
Mercy Heart Hospital Springfield fully opens with new operating and procedure rooms. By bringing heart services together under one roof, the hospital creates a more connected experience for patients receiving cardiovascular care.
2021
Mercy Kids Emergency Room opens as a dedicated emergency care center for children in Springfield and surrounding communities.
2025
Children's Mercy begins providing pediatric services in Springfield through a collaboration designed to expand specialized care for children and families in southwest Missouri.
Mercy Emergency Department - Springfield South opens on the orthopedic hospital campus, bringing emergency care closer to growing communities around Ozark and Nixa.
