ST. LOUIS - Dr. Don Arnold, anesthesiologist at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, is the winner of the 2023 Charles Thoele Physician Leadership Award. The Thoele Award is presented annually to recognize a practicing physician who demonstrates significant leadership to Mercy’s ministry in St. Louis, upholds the mission of the organization and exemplifies the Mercy values of Justice, Dignity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship.
Dr. Arnold joined Mercy St. Louis’ medical staff in 1989 and became the department chair of anesthesiology in 1998. He has served on many quality and operational committees at Mercy, locally, regionally and Mercy-wide. Beginning October 2024, he will become president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
Past recipients include Richard Pennell, MD (2022); Thomas Applewhite, MD (2021); Joan Shaffer, MD (2020); Paul Hintze, MD (2019); William Logan, MD (2018); Charles H. Rehm, Jr., MD (2017); Chris Veremakis, MD (2016); and David Meiners, MD (2015).
The award honors Charles E. Thoele, former CEO of Mercy Hospital St. Louis, long-time member and former chair of both the Mercy and Mercy Hospital St. Louis Board of Directors, for his decades of service and vision regarding the importance of physician input into strategy and operational decisions. Thoele passed away in 2016.
