2022 Men of the Year: Craig McCoy

Inclusivity is key to community health and well-being, a fact which directs Craig McCoy’s actions as a leader. Throughout his career in health care and in civic roles, he has consistently identified ways to make the communities he is in, including Springfield, more welcoming and inclusive.

For example, McCoy, Mercy Springfield Communities’ president the past two and a half years, was instrumental in a partnership between Mercy and The Arc of the Ozarks to establish an autism diagnosis and treatment clinic within the system’s Branson Multispecialty Clinic. McCoy also helped develop Silver Dollar City’s first “calming space,” which provides a safe environment for children with sensory disorders to take a break during trips to the park. Mercy is SDC’s official health care sponsor.

“We have already received tremendous feedback from our community about this new space, and several guests have personally written us to share about the personal impact this will have on their experience at the park,” he says.

Connecting organizations to scale impact is high priority for McCoy. As a former community president for Mercy – the organization eliminated the Springfield role in a leadership restructure this summer – he was tasked with connecting regional hospitals to provide greater support for rural clinics in the face of the pandemic. Through this cohesive network, hospitals could identify open beds at other facilities and share resources.

“While many hospitals were forced to turn patients away or send them to other states during the pandemic,” McCoy says, “we strived to keep patients in their local communities and close to loved ones.”

More broadly, McCoy says his personal mission is to ensure the entire community has access to quality health care, bolstering his resolve to make connections between organizations to create greater inclusivity.

“As we slowly find our way back to a healthier community, there are many things we need to consider,” he says. “One of my passions is to find better and more successful ways to serve and empower the marginalized in our community.”

McCoy graduated from Furman University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and from The Medical University of South Carolina and Clemson University with a master’s degree in health administration. He worked as a paramedic in Greenville, South Carolina, before beginning his nearly 20-year C-suite career nationwide in positions throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, Arizona, Georgia, and then Missouri in January 2020 with Mercy. He’s currently looking for his next role.

McCoy has mentored young professionals at Mercy and elsewhere, and his board service has included the Lost & Found Grief Center, Faith Community Health Center Inc., Healthy Living Alliance, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Arvest Bank, Integrity Home Care & Hospice and the Springfield Business Journal Editorial Advisory Board.