Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas Names
New Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer
Rogers, AR (August 24, 2005) - George Flynn has been
named Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer for Mercy Health System of
Northwest Arkansas. Responsibilities of this role include supervising the day-to-day
functions of Mercy’s core business elements, including the operations of St. Mary’s
Hospital and Mercy Medical Clinics, as well as leading in service line planning,
operational infrastructure development and market development. In addition to
these responsibilities, Flynn continues to serve as Vice President of Clinic
Operations for the Sisters of Mercy Health System (St. Louis), Mercy Health
System of Northwest Arkansas’ parent organization, a position which he has held since 1999.
Flynn has been serving locally on assignment from Mercy's corporate level as Vice
President of Market Strategies since October 2003. In this role, he was asked to
support system administrators in their master facility and market development plan
efforts, while continuing his work at the corporate level in areas specific to such
corporate strategies as clinic operations, clinic electronic record development,
physician integration, physician compensation plan design and physician recruitment.
Since relocating to Northwest Arkansas, Flynn has been an integral part of Mercy's
transformation into a destination for health and healing, aiding in the system's physician
recruitment and clinic expansion efforts, and leading the system from September-December
2004 as interim CEO while Susan Barrett, President and CEO of Mercy Health System of
Northwest Arkansas, recovered from a motorcycle accident. "Within our health system,
and specifically in the last couple of years here in Northwest Arkansas, George has
demonstrated his ability to lead and to think strategically within a faith-based context,"
explained Barrett. "I am very pleased he has agreed to join our team in this
important role. I know that he will continue to have great success in Northwest Arkansas."
Flynn has been employed by the Sisters of Mercy Health System since 1987, serving in
various roles on the hospital and corporate level. Prior to his work in St. Louis, he
worked as Chief Operating Officer of St. John's Physicians and Clinics and Vice President
of St. John's Regional Health Center, both divisions of St. John's Health System in
Springfield, Mo. A native of Missouri, he earned a bachelor's of science degree in
health services management and a master's of business administration degree with a
concentration in strategic planning/marketing from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
Flynn resides in Bentonville with his wife, Cindy, and son, Ryan. The couple also has
three daughters, all of whom reside in California.
Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas, a not-for-profit faith-based health system,
provides healthcare services to residents in northwest Arkansas and southwest Missouri.
The System includes St. Mary's Hospital, The Gardens at Osage Terrace Assisted Living
Facility and Mercy Medical Clinics in 22 locations throughout northwest Arkansas and
southwest Missouri. Mercy is currently constructing a state-of-the-art medical campus
just east of Interstate 540 off of New Hope Road in southwest Rogers. When completed
in 2007, the campus will include a 350,000-square-foot medical center with 200 beds
and a medical office building to accommodate 90 physicians.
