HJAR Nov/Dec 2020

18 NOV / DEC 2020 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Q&A What inspired you to get into health- care, and what attracted you to Mercy Hospital Fort Smith? I pursued a biomedical science degree with the intention of becoming a physical thera- pist; however, after job shadowing and volun- teering in this field, I realized that was not my calling. I took a few business courses along the way, which I really enjoyed. So, when I learned of healthcare administration, some- thing clicked. I wish I had a more profound story; however, if I had a “do over” I would choose the same profession. It has been an incredibly challenging and rewarding career, and I’m very grateful that God led me down this path. Prior to working at Mercy, I worked in secular nonprofit and for-profit hospitals, and I always hoped I would find my way to a faith-based organization. I love everything about the Sisters of Mercy’s heritage andmis- sion. I’moriginally from a small town in Texas and attended Subiaco Academy, so return- ing to Fort Smith eight years ago was like returning home in many ways. I don’t think I could have scripted things better for me and my family. We love this ministry, and we love this community. How has Mercy Fort Smith adapted to accommodate patients during the COVID-19 pandemic? What type of response have you had from the community during this time? We were fortunate to not experience a COVID surge early on, which gave us time to make needed preparations (e.g., stood up a forward triage outside the emergency de- partment, added negative air pressure rooms in the ICU and acute care setting, opened a drive-thru test site, procured additional PPE, established new safety protocols and educa- tion). Early on, we had our struggles like so many others with insufficient testing and long turnaround times, limited PPE and making sense of the ever-evolving data. However, I’m proud of how the team came together, remained calm and methodically worked through each challenge as they arose. The support from the community has been overwhelming and humbling, especially ear- ly on. We are accustomed to responding to the needs of the community, so it was awe- some to see how the community recognized our need to be lifted and cared for. I think it had an immeasurable impact on our team’s morale. I am also proud of how the entire River Valley community and state worked together through this pandemic. We developed new relationships, put our differences aside and leaned on each other. The state of Arkansas should be grateful for the leadership provided by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and his team, as they Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith, addresses the crowd, including Gov. Asa Hutchinson, during a ribbon- cutting ceremony in March at Mercy Hospital Ozark. The hospital recently underwent extensive renovations.