Bon Secours Mercy Health President Announces Retirement

Following a more than 30-year healthcare career, Brian Smith is set to retire at the end of the year.

Bon Secours Mercy Health, a nonprofit Catholic health system with 50 hospitals in seven states, announced the system's president will be retiring this year.

Brian Smith will retire as president of core operations on December 31, 2022, ending his healthcare career that has lasted for more than 30 years. In his role as president, Smith strategically leads and manages the organization's clinical and core activities.

"When I started as a wages and benefits manager in 1990, I had no idea that Mercy Health—and later Bon Secours Mercy Health—would be my professional home for 32 years," Smith said in a statement. "Serving this ministry and the millions of patients who come through our doors each year has been my pleasure and a true calling, and I am honored to have been a part of such a dynamic and innovative health system."

Bon Secours Mercy Health was created in September 2018 through the merger of Maryland-based Bon Secours Health System and Ohio-based Mercy Health. Prior to the merger, Smith served as Mercy Health's COO, as well as in numerous other operations and HR leadership positions over the years. He has held the roles of CEO, executive vice president, and COO within the system.

"As a dedicated servant leader, Brian has mentored and developed countless leaders and associates across the health system, helping them to achieve ministry goals and personal success. His focus and expertise in developing talent, building effective teams, and succession planning has kept our ministry vibrant and sustainable," Bon Secours Mercy Health CEO, John Starcher, said in a statement. "Many of our most successful initiatives are evidence of Brian's continued operational focus and intellectual curiosity. When I think about the millions of patients we serve, the advancements we’ve made in technology and the emphasis Brian has placed on better care processes that improve the patient experience, I know it is Brian's strong leadership that has enabled our teams to work at the top of their license."