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Mercy Welcomes Four New Members to Its 2019 Board of Directors

July 17, 2018

DES MOINES, Iowa­ — Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to the Mercy Board of Directors. Joining the board are: Emily Abbas, Brian Johnson, Espnola F. Cartmill and Theodore Rooney, D.O. They began their terms for Fiscal Year 2019 on July 1.

Emily Abbas is Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Bankers Trust. Emily joined Bankers Trust in 2014 as chief of staff — prior to also assuming responsibility for all marketing and communications efforts. Before joining Bankers Trust, Emily served in executive marketing and communication roles with Strategic America, Aviva USA and GuideOne Insurance.

Espnola F. Cartmill is an attorney with the Belin McCormick Law firm in Des Moines. She joined the firm in 2009. Nola’s areas of expertise include litigation, labor and employment law, and family law. Nola has litigated cases before Iowa district and appellate courts, the United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. She received her law degree from Harvard University.

Brian Johnson is Senior Vice President of Store Development for Casey’s General Stores. He joined Casey’s in 2003. Brian guides real estate development for new and replaced stores and evaluates mergers and acquisitions. He also has oversight for store construction and maintenance operations. Previously, Brian served as Casey’s vice president of finance and as corporate secretary. Brian served on the Mercy Foundation Board and is a member of the Diocese of Des Moines Finance Council.

Theodore Rooney, D.O., is former medical director of Mercy Medical Staff Services and has served as chair of the Clinical Quality and Safety Committee and the Graduate Medical Education Committee at Mercy – Des Moines. Dr. Rooney practiced medicine and was medical director of rheumatology services for Mercy Clinics. He has also served in a variety of academic and leadership positions at Des Moines University.

The 2019 Mercy Board of Directors officers are: Suku Radia, Chair; Brenda Cushing, Vice-Chair; Terry Lillis, Treasurer; and Monica Friedman, Secretary.

About Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines

Mercy operates four not-for-profit, Catholic hospital campuses, with a total of 875 beds, along with more than 20 additional facilities that house more than 50 primary care, pediatric, internal medicine and specialty clinics. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1893, Mercy Medical Center – Des Moines is the longest continually operating hospital in Des Moines and is also one of the largest employers in the state – with more than 7,000 employees and a medical staff of more than 1,000 physicians and allied health associates.  Mercy Medical Center–Des Moines is a member of Mercy Health Network and is a part of Catholic Health Initiatives (CHI), a national nonprofit health organization with headquarters in Englewood, Colo. The faith-based system operates in 18 states and includes 99 hospitals and multiple other facilities and services.