Mercy Regional Medical Center’s CEO Alan Daugherty announced Sandy Morein, current Chief Nursing Officer, has been promoted to the new Chief Operations Officer.

She will be responsible for overseeing the operations of Mercy Regional Medical Center in Ville Platte and its Acadian Medical Center campus in Eunice as the facilities continue to grow and expand.

She will also continue to lead and oversee the nursing functions at both campuses, a news release said.

Morein has been in healthcare for over 25 years and with LifePoint Hospitals for 10+ years.

She is a Registered Nurse and received her undergraduate degree from University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a Masters of Healthcare Administration from the University of St. Francis - Joliet, Ill.

She was recently appointed to serve on LifePoint’s Operations Council consisting of leaders from each division of LifePoint’s more than 50 hospitals. Members serve two-year terms with the option of a second term.

The Council works to identify ways in which LifePoint can better serve its communities, hospitals and medical staff.

Areas for exploration include such topics as quality improvement, the efficacy of corporate and hospital policies and procedures, and physician relations and retention, among others.

“I am excited about the growing future of Mercy Regional Medical Center. We will strive to ensure that we continually provide those healthcare services needed within our communities and surrounding areas while delivering quality healthcare to the patients we serve,” said Morein.

Mercy Regional Medical Center is a 109-bed acute care hospital formed on April 1, 2010 with the merging of Ville Platte Medical Center and Acadian Medical Center.

It serves approximately 97,000+ patients annually with a medical staff of 200+ physicians. Fully accredited by The Joint Commission, the two facilities provide a comprehensive array of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services including surgery, imaging, cardiology, obstetrics, physical therapy and rehab services.

Mercy Regional is one of the area’s largest employers with over 500 employees and a payroll of more than $25 million. A part of LifePoint Hospitals, Mercy Regional was named for Scott Mercy; the company’s founding CEO.