Lisa Klenke, Mercer Health CEO, Retiring June 2025

After 20 years of service as Chief Nursing Officer, and the past 12 years as CEO at Mercer Health, Lisa Klenke has announced her retirement effective June 30, 2025.  Lisa communicated to the associates of Mercer Health, “this decision comes with a deep appreciation for the incredible journey we have shared. Serving this organization and working alongside such a dedicated and talented team has been the greatest privilege of my professional career.  Together we have achieved remarkable milestones, faced challenges with resilience, and remained steadfast in our commitment to delivering exceptional care to our patients and their families.  While I look forward to beginning this next chapter of my life, my heart will remain with Mercer Health and the incredible work you do every day”.

During Lisa’s leadership tenure, Mercer Health has seen much growth and enhancement of healthcare services, most notably, the West Wing Expansion at Mercer Health’s Mercer County Community Hospital, which opened its doors in October 2018.  Lisa has positively led the Mercer Health organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, several acquisitions of local private practices, development of new services including mental wellness and healthy weight and wellness and the expansion of healthcare services into Auglaize County and the Maria Stein and Mendon communities.  Furthermore, under Lisa’s leadership, Mercer Health’s quality of care has been recognized nationally as a TOP 100 rural and community hospital in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023; and as one of the top 20 rural and community hospitals in the nation in 2024. Recently, Mercer Health was recognized as one of America’s Best-in-State Hospitals, sharing the honor with much larger health systems.

Beyond Mercer Health, Lisa has served the broader hospital and nursing communities, holding various leadership positions in nursing, quality and regulatory compliance. She has served on the Board of the Ohio Organization of Nurse Leaders, the American Organization of Nurse Executives Quality and Patient Safety Committee and Regulatory Monitoring Committee. Lisa served sixteen years on the Ohio Board of Nursing and is a past president.  She currently is a member of the Ohio Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees. In 2011 she received the Exceptional Leadership Award from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) for her achievements as the Ohio Board of Nursing President and her contributions to NCSBN initiatives, received the Nursing Leadership Award from the Ohio Organization of Nurse Executives and was recognized by the Ohio Senate for her work in Nursing Regulation.

Locally, Lisa has served on the Celina-Mercer County Chamber board, the Western Ohio Educational Foundation (WOEF) board, the steering committee for Women in Leadership of West Central Ohio, the Coldwater Kiwanis Club and has been recognized by Wright State University-Lake Campus as an Outstanding Alumni.  Lisa was a past Citizen of the Year honoree by the Celina Mercer County Chamber of Commerce and Stacy Beougher, Chamber Executive Director, said of Lisa, “her commitment to quality nursing care is obvious but her unwavering dedication to local, quality healthcare is unmatched. It is Lisa’s vision and efforts that have secured local, quality healthcare for future generations. Lisa was extremely passionate about the West Wing Expansion at Mercer Health’s Mercer County Community Hospital and because of Lisa’s vision, thousands of lives in our community will continue to have access to local, quality healthcare. Lisa’s career has been dedicated to the service of others and I feel you would be hard pressed to find someone in our community that has had more impact on more lives than Lisa Klenke.”

Mercer Health Board of Governor’s President, Robert Rose commented, “on behalf of the Board I want to express our deep gratitude for Lisa’s leadership and unwavering dedication.  Her vision, integrity, and commitment have shaped our organization’s success.  As she embarks on her retirement, we celebrate Lisa’s legacy and contributions and wish her joy in her new adventures”. 

A succession committee is working to fill the CEO role.