This September, Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas celebrates 75 years of compassionate care, innovation and exceptional service to the Northwest Arkansas community.
Since its founding as Rogers Memorial Hospital in 1950, the hospital has grown from a modest 30-bed facility into a 263-bed comprehensive medical center.
What began as a community dream – built with a $300,000 federal grant and local support – quickly became the foundation of a leading health care system. First led by the Sisters of St. Dominic and later by the Sisters of Mercy, the hospital has dedicated itself to care inspired by faith-filled service and stewardship.
“Today, we celebrate our founding and our bright future,” said Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Arkansas Communities. “We honor the visionaries, the Sisters, the caregivers and community members who built this hospital and those who continue to advance its mission every day.”
In 1995, recognizing the challenges of continuing as a stand-alone facility, the Rogers hospital joined the Sisters of Mercy Health System, now known as Mercy, in St. Louis to leverage the numerous advantages of working with a larger system of hospitals and to strengthen its ability to serve the community.
“From Rogers Memorial to St. Mary’s and now Mercy, it has always been more than a hospital – it’s the symbol of what’s possible when a community comes together,” said Raymond Burns, president and CEO of the Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce. “Its growth mirrors the growth of Rogers itself, and we’re proud to celebrate this milestone alongside them.”
With a legacy built on faith, service and innovation, Mercy is accelerating its plans to serve the growing needs of the region.
“Our hospital has been a pillar of our city for 75 years,” said Rogers Mayor Greg Hines. “Its commitment to compassionate care and community service has helped shape Rogers into the thriving, healthy city it is today. We look forward to the next 75 years.”
In its next era of growth, Mercy’s collaboration with the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Heartland Whole Health Institute and Cleveland Clinic will bring cutting-edge specialties and virtual care, developed with the whole patient in mind, to the region. To support this vision, Mercy committed $350 million to develop a cardiac care center of excellence on Mercy’s campus in Rogers and recruit additional physicians. “We are proud of our tradition of healing and even more inspired to serve generations to come,” Gehrig said. “As we celebrate this remarkable milestone, we renew our promise to serve each patient with dignity, compassion and excellence.”
Additionally, the Alice L. Walton Foundation will provide $350 million, in part to develop an outpatient center of excellence for specialty care, including new cardiac services and virtual
care in Bentonville, and to attract, train and retain top physicians for the region. This effort represents one of the largest-ever specialty care investments in the region.
“We are fulfilling a new community dream – one envisioning not just growth but the transformation of health care and the accessibility to expert care close to home,” said Steve Mackin, Mercy’s president and CEO.
Mercy Northwest Arkansas by the Numbers:
- 33 clinic and outpatient facilities
- 3,000+ caregivers, including 375 physicians and advanced practitioners employed
- 2,000+ babies welcomed annually
- Nearly 13,000 surgeries performed each year
- 77,000+ emergency visits annually, including the Rogers, Springdale and Bella Vista emergency departments
In total, Mercy Northwest Arkansas serves nearly 280,000 through outpatient visits and 16,000 through inpatient care each year.
Exceptional Quality
Mercy Northwest Arkansas continues to earn national recognition for its excellence:
- Earned a consecutive “A” safety rating from the Leapfrog Group since 2019
- Named one of the World’s Best Hospitals for 2025 by Newsweek, making it the only hospital in Arkansas to earn a spot on the global list.
- Ranked as one of the top facilities on Newsweek's recent ranking of America's Best Maternity Hospitals 2025 based on hospital quality metrics, patient experience surveys and recommendations from health care professionals across the nation. Of the three Arkansas hospitals on the ranking, Mercy was the only one to receive five ribbons.
- Named the Best Hospital in Arkansas by Newsweek in their America's Best-in-State Hospitals 2025 rankings
- Earned a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
A Legacy of Growth and Innovation
Over the decades, the Rogers hospital has undergone operational changes, multiple expansions and new locations to meet the growing needs of the region:
- 1950: Construction of Rogers Memorial Hospital
- 1951: Sisters of St. Dominic of Springfield, Illinois, invited to oversee operations for 10 doctors and four dentists
- 1963: Hospital ownership transferred to Sisters of St. Dominic
- 1965: A $1.5 million expansion increased bed capacity to 105
- 1975: A $5 million west wing expansion increased bed count to 165, growing paramedical and ancillary services
- 1979: Hospital renamed St. Mary’s – Rogers Memorial Hospital
- 1983: Construction began for a new emergency department, lobby and east wing
- 1985: Hospital’s foundation established to increase charitable donations for programs and enhancements
- 1987–1991: Hospital services expanded, a three-story tower and a two-level addition constructed, St. Mary’s Medical Center in Bella Vista added
- 1995: Joined the Sisters of Mercy Health System, now known as Mercy
- 1998: Opened Mercy Health Center on Highway 102 to expand access to pediatrics, cardiology, outpatient surgery and diagnostics
- 2008: Opened doors to a new facility at a different location with the Mercy name; launched its electronic health records, blazing a trail others would follow
- 2019: Completed a $247 million expansion on a new seven-story tower at the hospital
- 2020: Pivoted quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic, adapting technology to improve care in the hospital and for patients at home when contact was limited, thanks to Mercy’s early preparation for virtual care
- 2024: Announced a 30-year, $700 million affiliation agreement in a joint effort between Mercy, the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Heartland Whole Health Institute to expand access to health care, reduce costs and improve health outcomes in the region. Cleveland Clinic will also collaborate to provide world-class cardiovascular expertise to the effort.
