Merit Health River Oaks and Merit Health Woman’s Hospital Announce New Chief Executive Officer
11/19/2025
Merit Health River Oaks and Merit Health Woman’s Hospital are pleased to announce the appointment of John Whiteside, MHA, MBA, as chief executive officer, effective November 17, 2025.
Whiteside joins Merit Health with more than 13 years of progressive healthcare leadership experience. He most recently served as CEO of the Riverton and Lander campuses of the SageWest Healthcare system in Riverton, Wyoming. During his tenure, he led successful recruitment efforts across key specialties—including primary care, orthopedics, pulmonology and cardiovascular services—guided the organization through Joint Commission and Chest Pain Center accreditation surveys, and achieved measurable improvements in employee satisfaction.
Prior to his role in Wyoming, Whiteside served as CEO of Los Alamos Medical Center in New Mexico, where he oversaw significant service line growth, increased physician recruitment, enhanced HCAHPS and physician satisfaction scores, and managed major facility expansion and renovation projects.
Earlier in his career, Whiteside held leadership positions at Mercy Regional Medical Center in Louisiana, including chief operating officer. In that role, he led the development of new service lines, recruited physicians to the region, and oversaw construction of a cath lab, MRI lab and sleep lab. He began his healthcare career as an administrative resident and advanced through roles as administrative specialist and assistant administrator.
Whiteside also brings notable leadership experience from his service as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, where he led and developed large teams through multiple overseas and combat deployments. He was responsible for training, operations and performance evaluations, ensuring mission readiness and excellence.
Whiteside holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, a Master of Business Administration from St. Leo University, and a Master of Science in Health Administration from the University of Florida.
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