Mercy Health-St. Rita’s continues Sisters’ mission

LIMA — More than 100 years ago, the Sisters of Mercy opened St. Rita’s during the Pandemic Flu.

Today, Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center continues to grow and provide healthcare to the community. President Ronda Lehman presented to the Lima Sertoma Club on Thursday afternoon to give an update on its operations.

Lehman began her journey at St. Rita’s in 1995. St. Rita’s merged with a larger health care system, Mercy Health, before Bon Secours merged less than a decade ago. Overall, the organization has 50 hospitals in the U.S. and around the world.

A recent addition to the local healthcare center is the Graduate Medical Education Program.

“The program truly addresses the future of what we need in healthcare,” Lehman said. “We have a physician shortage nationwide. There are lots of ways to try and address it. Training more physicians is a powerful way to bring them to our communities and get them to stay.”

Over the last four years, Lehman said around 25% to 30% of the physicians trained through the GME decided to remain in the area.

“We have the only ECMO program in the area, which is the highest form of life support available in the world,” Lehman said. “We can provide this at St. Rita’s and provide amazing outcomes for people who need that high level of care.”

The organization is also a non-profit. Lehman said the medical center provides $40 million in healthcare to those in need each year.

“At the end of the day, what keeps me excited about healthcare is that we are still incredibly blessed by the resources we have, the facilities we can work in and the chance we have to make a difference,” Lehman said. “Technology and insurance companies aside, when a patient presents to us and we have a chance to connect with them and can find out what is important to them. I believe that is what the Sisters of Mercy would want us to continue to do.”

For more information on the organization, visit bonsecours.com.

Reach Precious Grundy at 567-242-0351.