Jason Demke recently joined Mercy Hospital Fort Smith as its new chief operating officer.
Demke replaces Ryan Geib, who is now president of Mercy Southeast Communities in Missouri. Demke began his new position with Mercy on March 18. Most recently, he served as COO for West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, Idaho, and previously was vice president of operations at Johnston-Willis Hospital in Richmond, Virginia.
Demke will oversee the ongoing expansion of the emergency department and intensive care unit at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith, among other projects. Construction began on the ER/ICU expansion in February 2022, and it has an expected completion date of April 2025.
“You can feel there’s a lot of community momentum in the River Valley, which creates excitement and opportunities,” he said. “It also creates new challenges, but Mercy Fort Smith is invested in taking on those challenges by expanding access to its nationally recognized care within our communities. I knew immediately that this is where I wanted to continue to grow my career and be a part of something special.”