Great Hospitals Help Create Great Communities

Providing the Best Care Possible Now and Into the Future

“Mercy Health is proud to be caring for the Defiance community by providing the highest quality and most advanced care close to home so that patients can be treated near their families and support systems instead of being transferred to another community,” said Dan Barbee, president of Mercy Health – Toledo Rural Market.

Mercy Health is part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, which is a Catholic health system and one of the 20 largest health systems in the U.S. Its mission is to extend compassionate ministry by improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves. Mercy Health Hospital and Mercy Health Clinic in Defiance aid thousands of individuals each year and is committed to providing high-quality and compassionate care to the community. In 2020, there were 1,004 in-patient admissions and 8,149 emergency room visits to Mercy Hospital in Defiance, while the clinic had 122,793 visits and 106,182 outpatient registrations. “In Defiance, our team at Mercy Health -- Defiance (Mercy) Hospital and Mercy Health-Defiance Clinic -- are especially engaged as our patients are not only our friends and neighbors but our families,” Barbee said. As part of its commitment to the community, officials at Mercy are striving to provide the best care possible now and into the future.

Starting Jan. 1, 2022, patients at Mercy will be seeing a new change. The hospital is becoming a network provider for Anthem. The move was a long-term goal for Mercy as it will help many patients have their medical care at hospital/clinic without them having to incur out-of-pocket expenses. Barbee said the move will allow those who are insured by Anthem to have access to “a continuity of care with our providers or within the Mercy Health Network” without expensive out-of-pocket expenses. Officials at Mercy have made and continue to work on changes to better the health and wellness of its patients, staff and community in Defiance County. “Mercy Health is committed to treating the whole person -- mind, body and spirit -- and as such, we work to continually build programs and services that add value to our community,” Barbee said.

“One such initiative was the expansion of telehealth services. Not only did this open more avenues for those seeking accessible health care options, but it gave us the ability to offer more specialty services and care in areas where traditionally access to specialized care was more difficult.” Examples of those specialty services include consultations for neurology/neurosurgery, pulmonology, psychiatry and cardiology services. Certified clinical psychologists also have started seeing patients in Mercy's primary care offices “making access to mental health services more convenient for our community.” The staff at Mercy Health also hosts several seminars and events throughout the year.“ Through prevention programs and education events -- and by making access to health care easier -- Mercy Heath engages our community to take ownership in their own health and wellness,” Barbee said. “While our teams are poised and ready to care for our community’s sick and injured, Mercy puts great efforts into providing wellness and preventive programs to keep people healthy and out of the hospital.”

Officials at Mercy also are looking toward the future in other ways. “In an every changing and dynamic health care environment, health systems must be agile and innovative in how we deliver care,” Barbee said. “The reality is that the hospital of 10 years ago is not the hospital of the future or even of today. In response, Mercy Health is rapidly moving towards a much more outpatient-focused delivery model and continues to bring on innovative technologies, such as telemedicine to provide better care in our region.” Telemedicine has aided the community throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

Dan Barbee, President of Mercy Health- Toledo Rural Market

A bigger blessing has been the expert and caring staff at Mercy. Mercy Health is a strong partner and supporter of Defiance city and county as well as being one of the larger employers in the region. “Mercy Health is thankful to our many physicians and staff who have steadfastly served our patients during this heath care crisis,” Barbee said, adding that the crisis has really impacted the health care workforce. Thankfully, Mercy Health as a ministry launched several incentive initiatives partnered with benefits and competitive compensations to keep staff in place. “We are blessed that our teams have remained strong in our Defiance facilities as we continue to provide expert and compassionate care to our patients,” Barbee said.

To learn more about Mercy Health, Defiance or to apply for an open position, Click Here.