Mercy Iowa City President and CEO Reed set to retire

IOWA CITY - Mercy Iowa City President and CEO Ronald Reed will retire in March after 21 years leading the private hospital.

Mike Heinrich, executive vice president and CFO, will become interim president and CEO, Mercy Iowa City announced Tuesday afternoon.

Reed has overseen expansion of Mercy Iowa City's services, including new primary and specialty care clinics, Wound and Vein Center, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and Mercy Hospice Care. During his tenure, the hospital acquired Coral West medical facility and converted to single-patient rooms, the hospital reported.

'I have enjoyed leading Mercy since Aug. 1, 1995, and value the many friends and colleagues with whom I have had the pleasure to work over the past nearly 21 years,” Reed said in a prepared statement. 'My support of Mercy will continue and is limitless.”

Mercy Iowa City, started by Catholic nuns in 1873, has the highest patient satisfaction scores among local healthcare providers University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids and Unity Point-St. Luke's in Cedar Rapids, according to Medicare.gov's Hospital Compare.

The 234-bed hospital has struggled with low inpatient occupancy, but profit margins remain strong, The Gazette reported in December.

Mercy Iowa City is considering joining the Mercy Health Network, which owns hospitals in Des Moines, Dubuque, Clinton, Mason City and Sioux City. The main advantage, Reed said last month, would be maintaining choice for patients whose insurance favors system hospitals.