By John Kelly, CEO, Bluegrass Business Media
A bright blue autumn sky greeted me Oct. 6 as I made my way to Mercy’s St. John’s Medical Center in the city of Joplin, MO.

The obvious signs of devastation this community had withstood were evidenced all around me, yet the sky seemed intent on mirroring the spirit of my journey and the spirit of the people I was about to meet.

The generous donations from attendees to the 2011 Fall IDN Summit were making it possible for me to present a check for more than $40,000 to benefit the Mercy Foundation for Health Innovation Joplin Relief Fund, a fund designated to help Mercy co-workers in Joplin who suffered great loss following the devastating EF-5 tornado that ripped through Joplin, destroying Mercy’s St. John’s Medical Center on May 22nd.

The donations came from a silent auction and individual contributions from the many healthcare industry colleagues inspired last month at the IDN Summit when Mercy and its supply chain division, ROi, presented, “Lessons Learned from Joplin” during the Summit’s general session. Dr. David Hagedorn, emergency department physician; Gene Kirtser, president/CEO of ROi; and JoAnne Levy, vice president of Integrated Sourcing Solutions, ROi, kept the crowd of IDN Summit attendees riveted with a video featuring Mercy and ROi co-workers, then provided first-hand accounts of the medical response and supply chain actions required by the tornado’s destruction.

There are a lot of heroes in the story of Joplin and in St. John’s response to this tragedy. Lynn Britton is one of them. While many CEOs would have taken an easier route and not made the decision he did—to immediately assure all the staff of St. John’s that yes, they had jobs, and yes, St. John’s would rebuild—the result is that Mercy, St. John’s and the Joplin community all face a brighter tomorrow because he made that clear and decisive choice, one that provided hope for the future when it was most needed.

I am humbled by the spirit of the many folks I met while in Joplin to present the donation from IDN Summit attendees. Their stories of courage and heartache were incredibly inspiring, and truly reflected the strength of the human spirit to endure great hardship yet face a new dawn with hope and optimism. I consider it a great privilege to represent all of you who gave with kind hearts and overwhelming generosity. Like the folks of Joplin, like Lynn Britton and like the people at St. John’s, Mercy and ROi, you truly are all heroes.