Experienced leader has helped improve patient outcomes and workplace satisfaction
by Mercy's Michael Kimball
Stephanie Clements is Mercy’s new top nurse.
Clements, a longtime leader and executive with decades of experience in health systems across three states, is stepping up from a vice president role at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City to be Mercy’s chief nurse executive (CNE).
“It’s a humbling and exciting opportunity to lead the most compassionate and dedicated group of nurses I’ve ever worked with,” said Clements, who will be based in St. Louis, but works across Mercy’s multi-state footprint, as she takes on the new position. “Nurses are the lifeblood of every hospital and clinic, and the work they do makes all the difference in the overall patient experience. I’m looking forward to working even more closely with the talented health care professionals across Mercy to ensure our nurses have what they need to be the best in the world at what they do, while working at the top of their license.”
In Oklahoma, Clements also served as community chief nursing officer with strategic oversight of more than 2,400 nurses at Mercy hospitals across Oklahoma. As Mercy’s CNE, she will now lead more than 15,000 nurses across Mercy hospitals and clinics in five states.
“Stephanie has extensive experience and a strong commitment to our mission and heritage,” said Dr. John Mohart, Mercy executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Her background as an evidence-based bedside nurse informs every operational and strategic decision she makes, ensuring that our nursing practices remain at the forefront of excellence. And her experience as a hospital CEO and chief nursing officer illustrates her exceptional leadership capabilities.”
Clements’ nursing career dates to 1994 as a registered labor and delivery nurse in Texas. Her career also took her to Colorado before joining Mercy in Oklahoma, and her patient care experience includes outpatient infusion, perioperative services, neonatal intensive care and medical-surgical nursing. She has held every nursing leadership position from floor nurse to charge nurse, house supervisor to unit manager before leading all nursing for Mercy in Oklahoma.
She has worked in executive roles since 2015. Clements joined Mercy in Oklahoma City last year after serving as CEO of Baylor Scott & White Surgical Hospital in Fort Worth, Texas.
Clements and her husband, Scott, have two grown sons. They spend their free time doting on their grandsons when they aren’t walking their dog, Jet, or enjoying the outdoors.
