Josh Neff, president of Mercy Hospital, is leaving after two years in the role and eight years with Mercy’s parent company, CommonSpirit.
Neff is leaving effective July 2 to “pursue a new opportunity,” according to a statement by Pete Powers, president of the Greater Colorado & Kansas Market for CommonSpirit Health.
“After eight years of dedicated service to CommonSpirit Health and southwest Colorado, Josh Neff, President of Mercy Hospital, will be leaving CommonSpirit to pursue a new opportunity,” Powers said. “... We are grateful for Josh’s leadership and wish him the very best in his next chapter.”
Neff declined to comment, citing policy reasons, and directed all inquiries to the CommonSpirit media team.
“Hospital presidents don’t comment to the press,” he told The Durango Herald Tuesday.
An interim leader is expected to be named in the coming days, Powers said.
“(We) have begun a comprehensive search for our next hospital president, who will build upon our legacy of high-quality, compassionate care in Durango and beyond,” he said.
Neff, who previously worked as the CEO of St. Elizabeth Hospital in Fort Morgan and as CommonSpirit’s vice president of integration and rural health, began his tenure as the CEO of Mercy July 1, 2024, and replaced former CEO Brandon Mencini.
Mencini began his tenure October 2022.
In an interview with the Herald in 2024, Neff acknowledged the whiplash communities can experience when there are multiple turnovers in the CEO’s office, and said he hoped to remain in Southwest Colorado for good.
No information was shared by CommonSpirit or Neff about the nature or location of Neff’s new position.
Concerns from some community members and employees arose in recent months surrounding Mercy’s in- and outpatient hospice and palliative care services and the overall leadership style of CommonSpirit.
epond@durangoherald.com
