What’s On Bill Hennessey’s Desk?

In his 35 years at Mercy, Bill Hennessey has had nearly 10 office spaces. His previous office was an expansive space at Hammons while his latest is perhaps the smallest. “I felt horrible because it was the most beautiful office, with 12 huge windows,” he says. “But now I’m right where I need to be, right in the middle of things with easy access to everyone.” 

When David Argueta became president of Mercy, he relocated senior leadership to ensure they were easily accessible and had apulse on the daily happenings of the hospital. Through the transition, Hennessey has seen a multitude of benefits. “It’s definitely enhanced communication with leadership,” he says. “You can’t speak enough about the importance of that hallway communication.” With a smaller space, Hennessey has also been intentional with what he keeps in his office, narrowing it down to the most meaningful and important items. “When you have 35 years in a place you collect a lot of things in different nooks and crannies,” he jokes. 

St. Johns

When Hennessey first arrived at Mercy, then called St. John’s, they were celebrating their 100th anniversary. He was asked by the head sister to be the committee chair to plan the celebration. “It was the most wonderful experience I could have imagined and really grounded me here in our heritage, our history,” he says. Their centennial year included a historical display showing every decade of their history in the community, and nearly ten years later St. John’s rebranded to Mercy. He recalls stating to the group: “This is where we’re going. We need to come together as one organization and serve as Mercy. We are here to serve and how do we best work together and thrive in a very complicated world of health care?’” 

Certificate for Advanced Formation 

Mercy’s 18-month deep dive program shares their heritage, mission and values. Two hours each month are spent in the Sisters of Mercy Convent with a small cohort of around 10 others. Hennessey attended Advanced Formation himself in 2011 and now helps facilitate the program. “I would say that was really formative to my time as a Mercy leader and pretty pivotal to have this deep dive into who we are as a ministry and how we’re different,” he says. 

Cardinal

Sister Mary Natalie gifted Hennessey a plant with a little cardinal in it for his first day on the job. Twenty-nine years old at the time, Hennessey didn’t quite have the green thumb to keep the plant alive but always kept the cardinal. “It’s to remind me of the very beginning, of the welcoming aspect of Mercy and the reminder that that’s what I am called to do every day—to be a person that will welcome, that will serve and show that same hospitality the sisters did to me,” he says. 

Drums

Hennessey has played the drums since he was 10 years old and now enjoys playing in Mercy’s doctors band, Caduceus. He was the first non-physician in the group, which formed 35 years ago. They are now a 501C3 nonprofit focused on giving back to the community by playing for local events like Springfield Catholic School’s Emerald Evening, where they played everything from Stevie Wonder to Taylor Swift. 

Sister Lorraine

Among the many photos of his family, Hennessey keeps one framed photo of founder of The Kitchen, Sister Lorraine Biebel. The two worked together on many committees and projects over the years. “Many considered her the Mother Teresa of Springfield because she served the most vulnerable, the most poor and those in greatest need,” he says. Sister Lorraine's retirement was a big moment for all of Springfield, as well as for Hennessey and his wife, Dawn, pictured beside her at her retirement party. 

St. Francis 

Hennessey served in the army through 1989 and joined St. John's that year. One of his early assignments was to be the first non-sister administrator at St. Francis Hospital in Mountain View. “Different things like that make me remember the moment and realize our paths in life are never straight, you know?” Hennessey says. “We have this zigzagging approach to get to where we are but then you look back and it just makes sense.”