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Mercy Hospital Pittsburg Welcomes David Smith as New Administrator

June 24, 2025

Mercy Hospital Pittsburg is happy to announce the arrival of David Smith, who has joined Mercy as administrator of the newest Mercy hospital. Smith brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in several different health care settings.

Smith’s 17-year history in Catholic health care drew him to Mercy and its foundation in faith.   

“When I began exploring the possibility of pursuing this role, I noticed quickly that Mercy and Pittsburg were the kinds of places I wanted to be,” he said. “The sense of community here is impossible to miss, and that’s true within the hospital walls and outside. I’m thrilled to be here and am equally excited to get to know all the people who make the hospital run and to catch Pitt State games this fall. I feel very blessed to be chosen as the administrator at Mercy Hospital Pittsburg.” 

Mercy doctor's coat David Smith

In the six years before joining Mercy, Smith served as chief executive officer in a critical access setting at Hammond Henry Hospital in Geneseo, Illinois. In his new role, Smith will oversee the day-to-day operations of Mercy Hospital Pittsburg, as he has at other hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin since 2018. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

"David is a great fit to lead our Mercy Pittsburg community,” said Jeremy Drinkwitz, president of Mercy Joplin communities. “We’re fortunate to have someone with more than two decades of experience in this role, and I’m confident he’ll quickly become an integral part of both Mercy and the community.”

In his free time, Smith and his wife enjoy the outdoors and have already hit the Frisco Greenway Trail in Joplin. He has received so many recommendations of local restaurants, he said, that it may take months to visit them all. Smith is also looking forward to getting feedback from patients in the hospital and encourages patients receiving care to ask to visit with him about their experiences. 

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