For Immediate Release

Shelly Cordum, DNP, RN, CENP, Joins Merit Health River Oaks as New CNO

Flowood, Miss – October 25, 2021 – Merit Health River Oaks has named Shelly Cordum, DNP, RN, CENP, as the new Chief Nursing Officer. 

Cordum comes to Merit Health River Oaks from SSM Health DePaul Hospital in St. Louis, MO, where she served as Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer since 2016.   At SSM Health DePaul Hospital, she provided strategic and operational oversight to 8 direct and 19 indirect managers within the Division of Nursing. 

Throughout her 18 years in healthcare leadership, Cordum has accomplished many goals, including implementation of nurse mentor programs, execution of a Joint Commission Primary Stroke Center and an Advanced COPD Center of Excellence program, and formation of a nurse leader institute for nursing directors and managers.

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

Cordum earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing and her master of science degree in nursing from the University of Mississippi in Jackson, MS.  She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice Program degree from Loyola University in New Orleans, LA.    

Photo attached

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