Mercy Health – Cincinnati, part of Bon Secours Mercy Health, announces that Dave Fikse, Cincinnati market president, will retire in June after 41 years in health care administration and six years with the ministry. 

“Dave joined Mercy Health – Cincinnati in 2016 and served as chief operating officer before being named president in 2018. He has made numerous contributions to the ministry and the Cincinnati community during his tenure. We thank him for his dedicated service and wish him a happy and fulfilling retirement,” Bon Secours Mercy Health Group President Paul Smith said.

Last year, Fikse led the effort to break ground on the new Kings Mills Hospital, which will open in 2024 and expand access to care in the northern Cincinnati area. In addition to leading Mercy Health’s response to the pandemic, he’s overseen the development of the Brain Tumor Center at The Jewish Hospital, the opening of medical centers in Deerfield, Eastgate and Liberty Township and the growth of Mercy Health Physicians.

A fixture in our communities and an advocate for health, he served in leadership roles with the American Heart Association, including the Heart Mini, to raise awareness and much-needed funding to address heart disease. He serves on the board of Mount St. Joseph University, DePaul Cristo Rey High School and the Cincinnati Health Collaborative. Fikse has also been a champion for local economic development, serving on the board for REDI Cincinnati, whose purpose is to drive job growth within the Cincinnati area.

“It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead the talented group of individuals who make up Mercy Health – Cincinnati. I’m awed by their skills, compassion and unwavering dedication to providing the very best care to every person who comes through our doors, and I know that this team will continue to achieve great things on behalf of our patients, families and employees,” Fikse said.

Throughout the coming months, Fikse will work to transition day-to-day responsibilities to Mercy Health – Cincinnati Chief Operating Officer Sean Dardeau, as Mercy Health conducts a national search for a new market president.