Anthony Houston Takes Over at CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs on Dec. 22

2. In April, Capella Healthcare of Franklin, Tenn., announced plans to buy Mercy Hot Springs, formerly St. Joseph’s Mercy Health System. 

Anthony Houston has been named president of CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs, effective Dec. 22.

The health care system announced the appointment on Nov. 20. Houston is the executive vice-president and chief operating officer at SSM St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Houston will replace Thomas Fitz, who has been interim president of CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs. The system was acquired by CHI St. Vincent in April.

“I am excited and pleased that CHI St. Vincent is entrusting me with the leadership of CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs to continue the more than 125-year healing ministry started by the Sisters of Mercy,” Houston said in a news release.

“Coupled with the legacy of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, who founded CHI St. Vincent in Little Rock a few months before the Sisters of Mercy began their work at Hot Springs, I feel honored to have the opportunity to be affiliated with a health system with such a long-standing and deeply rooted commitment to the health care of Arkansans,” he said.

Houston will report to Chad Aduddell, executive vice president and chief operating officer of CHI St. Vincent.  

Before working for SSM Health, Houston was senior director for public finance for Fitch Ratings from 2006-2010. From 2004-2006, he was a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers. And from 2000-2004,  And from 2000-2004, Houston managed service line and faculty physician practices for several operations at the University of Chicago Hospitals.