Jonathan Koonce Joins Merit Health River Oaks as New COO

Flowood, Miss – January 5, 2022 – Merit Health River Oaks has named Jonathan Koonce as the new Chief Operating Officer. Koonce is responsible for supporting the overall strategic operations of the hospital including oversight of multiple ancillary departments and physician recruitment. 

Koonce comes to Merit Health River Oaks from Crozer Keystone Health System (CKHS) in Upland, PA, where he served in several leadership positions since 2018.   In his most recent role as Hospital Administrator for Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park, PA, Koonce was integral in the operational, strategic and financial planning for the hospital.  While there, he implemented a neurology rehab program, implemented a successful transition of care program for patients and served as executive lead for a system wide COVID-19 strategic planning committee.

Prior to his work at CKHS, Koonce was the Administrative Specialist at Northwest Health Systems in Arkansas.  Throughout his tenure there he provided strategic and operational oversight for all ancillary departments and successfully recruited physicians for service lines such as neonatology and surgery. 

“Merit Health River Oaks will benefit from Jonathan’s leadership skills, community focus, and desire to provide our patients with quality, compassionate healthcare,” said Sam Dean, CEO, Merit Health River Oaks.  

Koonce earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Harding University in Searcy, AR, and his masters in healthcare administration from the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR.  

About Merit Health

Merit Health serves the healthcare needs of residents of Mississippi through its 9 affiliated hospitals. The healthcare system offers a wide array of services including orthopedics, cardiology, women’s health, emergency departments and broad diagnostic medical and surgical services. The network has more than 1,800 licensed beds, more than 2,500 physicians on the combined active medical staffs, more than 3,000 employees, and more than 40,000 admissions and more than 250,000 emergency department visits each year. 

            For media inquiries, contact:

            Alicia Carpenter, Merit Health, (601) 824-8410, Alicia.Carpenter@MyMeritHealth.com