O'Reilly family makes naming-level donation for Mercy pediatric facility

Less than a month after Mercy Springfield Communities announced a $30 million pediatric outpatient center in partnership with Kansas City-based Children’s Mercy, the project has secured a lead donation as part of a larger fundraising effort.

The families of Charlie and Mary Beth O’Reilly, David and Stacey O’Reilly, Larry and Anya O’Reilly and Rosalie O’Reilly Wooten are making a donation for the facility. While the family declined to disclose the amount of the donation, they said it's seven figures. The name of the pediatric facility has not yet been determined.

Of the $30 million cost for the pediatric outpatient clinic, $10 million is targeted for fundraising. Charlie, Larry, David and Rosalie are serving as honorary co-chairs for the capital campaign.

"Each of us are very interested in charities that benefit children in general," Rosalie said. "In this case, a new opportunity to bring additional care for children to Springfield felt like a good thing."

David said their father and grandfather were part of a group of leaders who originally raised money to build St. John's, which would later take on the Mercy name. O'Reilly family members have served as Mercy board members, and Rosalie additionally pointed to the C.H. “Chub” O'Reilly Cancer Center at Mercy's main campus as an example of philanthropic giving to the health system.

"I think we feel like it has a pretty special role in our family in that regard, but obviously the bigger role is in the community," David said.

Larry said when the family was approached about donating to the pediatric facility, it was an easy yes.

"There's only been a couple other times, I think, in our history where all of us had just kind of looked at each other and said, ‘Yeah, this is it. This is something that we've got to get behind. This is too important to our family and our community. It was like two and two is four. It just made sense," he said, pointing to the family's giving mantra. "If you're successful, if you do well in whatever you choose ... always give back. Always return, and that will come back to you many times over."

Mercy Springfield Communities President John Myers thanked the O'Reillys for their donation and noted Alyea Alldredge, executive director of Mercy Health Foundation Springfield, would be leading fundraising for the campaign.

"I just want to express appreciation and thanks to the O'Reilly family for making this gift," he said, noting the donation would be impactful "not just in Springfield but overall southwest Missouri."

The remaining $20 million cost of the $30 million project would come from capital provided by Mercy and Children's Mercy, he added.

Work to begin
Construction is scheduled to start this month at the pediatric outpatient clinic, which is located at Mercy’s south campus. The project site is on currently vacant land that’s part of Mercy’s real estate holdings that also hold an orthopedic hospital, rehab facility and newly opened emergency department at U.S. Highway 65 and Evans Road.

Snyder Construction Group LLC is serving as general contractor for the 40,000-square-foot facility designed by HDR Engineering Inc. Officials expected the pediatric clinic to open in December 2026.

Officials say the planned pediatric facility would have pediatric specialists and pediatric primary care under one roof. Myers said urology and gastroenterology would be among the facility's services.

Children's Mercy on Dec. 9 announced the hiring of Dr. Troy Spilde as a pediatric general surgeon for its Springfield operation. It's a return to Children's Mercy for Spilde, who has more than 20 years of pediatric general surgery experience and has held leadership roles in Springfield, Illinois.

“Dr. Spilde represents the first of what we hope are many new physician hires to help us enhance the pediatric specialty services at Mercy Springfield and to fulfill our commitment to the community to improve the health and well-being of children with specialty pediatric care options closer to home," said Debbie Schwartzkopf, interim chief administrative officer who is heading up local efforts for Children’s Mercy, in a news release.

Mercy finalized its pediatric care agreement with Children’s Mercy on Nov. 1. The two health systems in August signed a joint operating agreement setting up the arrangement, following the announcement of a partnership between the organizations in March 2024.

Children’s Mercy is now providing leadership oversight of pediatrics, with providers employed by Mercy, according to the deal’s terms. The agreement covers Mercy’s existing pediatric hospital within Mercy Hospital Springfield and its specialty care clinics, along with the future pediatric outpatient facility.

The website of Children's Mercy indicates its Springfield operation is providing pediatric inpatient care, a pediatric intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric surgery, pediatric emergency department, child life services, pediatric social work, pediatric respiratory therapy, and pediatric physical and occupational therapy.