Mercy CEO: We will rebuild in Joplin

St. John's Regional Medical Center, Mercy President/CEO Lynn Britton and St. John's President Gary Pulsipher pledged to the community that Mercy will rebuild. "The Sisters of Mercy came to this community in 1885 and opened the hospital in 1896. They've been through hard times before - perhaps nothing quite on the magnitude of this - but our commitment to Joplin remains strong," said Britton. During the news conference on Wednesday, Britton shared plans for a 60-bed mobile hospital that he said will be in place by Sunday in Joplin, offering a full array of services including emergency, surgery, imaging, lab and inpatient care. It will be able to withstand 100 mile-per-hour winds. Longer-term plans for the hospital are being discussed, and a board meeting will be held this week to continue the planning effort.