Theresa Wachter
Co-Chair of Joplin Proud, Retired Healthcare Executive
Professional career includes eight years as a classroom educator and 35 years as a healthcare executive at Mercy Hospitals in Pennsylvania and Joplin. Her commitment has been in the development of faith and value based healthcare cultures and in community collaboration for the sake of building healthy communities. During her tenure in healthcare, a variety of operational departments and committees reported to her, mostly including non-clinical human services areas of health expertise.
Following Joplin’s May 22, 2011 tornado Mercy Hospital Joplin, which was destroyed by that storm, requested that she take the leadership role in the development of a mid and long range psychological recovery program for the community. Titled Mercy Community Connections, the program focused recovery services on four target audiences throughout its two-year duration.
Retired from Mercy Hospital Joplin, Theresa is currently serving as co-chair of Joplin Proud, Joplin’s recognition of the fifth anniversary of the historic 2011 storm. Additionally, she sits on the Board of Circles, a family poverty program, serving on the Circles’ Children’s Curriculum committee with Circles USA. She is a facilitator for One Joplin, a collaboration of not-for-profit organizations with a goal of building stronger interagency cooperation and reduced duplication.
