Leading Mercy’s largest hospital and overseeing millions of dollars in expansion projects will be the first major tasks facing Tricia McGusty as the new president of Mercy St. Louis Communities.
Mercy has named the veteran hospital executive to the role after a nationwide search, placing her in charge of Mercy Hospital St. Louis in Creve Coeur and a network of regional outpatient clinics, surgery centers and related healthcare facilities serving eastern Missouri.
“Her proven ability to guide complex health systems, paired with her deep passion for our mission and the people we serve, makes her an outstanding choice for this role,” said David Argueta, Mercy senior vice president and president of community operations.
In the position, McGusty will oversee hospital operations while helping guide Mercy’s long-term planning and development across its St. Louis facilities.
Her responsibilities will include major capital projects already underway in the region, including renovations at Mercy Hospital St. Louis and a $75 million expansion at Mercy South. Mercy officials said details of another large campus renovation have not yet been announced.
One of her first priorities will be overseeing a large campus renovation at Mercy Hospital St. Louis.
McGusty brings more than 25 years of experience in health care, including leadership roles at large hospital systems.
She most recently served as chief operating officer at HCA Houston Healthcare Northwest and also served as interim chief executive officer there during a leadership transition.
During her roughly eight years with HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s largest hospital systems, she held several leadership roles at the Northwest Houston facility, including vice president of business development from 2017 to 2019, chief operating officer from 2019 to 2026 and interim CEO from 2024 to 2026.
While there, the hospital earned designation as a Level II trauma center, meaning it can provide advanced care for severely injured patients with trauma specialists available around the clock. The hospital was also recognized as an Advanced Comprehensive Stroke Center by The Joint Commission.
In 2024, the facility was named by U.S. News & World Report as a high-performing hospital and later received Healthgrades’ designation as one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals for 2026.
Mercy Hospital St. Louis is the largest hospital in the Mercy health system and a major medical center in the region. The hospital has about 715 staffed beds and anchors Mercy’s network of outpatient clinics, surgery centers and specialty facilities across the St. Louis area.
Dr. David Meiners, who has served as president of Mercy St. Louis Communities since 2020, participated in the search process that led to McGusty’s hiring. He said her experience leading large hospital operations and building relationships with physicians and caregivers stood out during the selection process.
“During the interview process it became immediately clear that her goals and objectives aligned perfectly with Mercy’s mission,” Meiners told The American.
Mercy officials said Meiners will remain with the organization during the transition before moving into an executive advisor role.
McGusty said her leadership approach focuses on strengthening hospital operations while supporting physicians, nurses and staff responsible for patient care.
“Strong hospitals are built on disciplined execution and an unwavering commitment to the communities they serve,” McGusty said.
Mercy officials said McGusty will assume the role as the health system continues planning additional upgrades and service expansions across the St. Louis region.
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.