CommonSpirit Mercy Hospital announced this week that Joe Theine will serve as its next president, nearly four months after former president Josh Neff resigned.
Theine previously served as CEO of Southwest Health System in Cortez. The hospital announced the appointment to staff in a newsletter Tuesday.
Theine
“Joe is a respected leader and with deep connections to the Four Corners Community and a career-long dedication to advancing healthcare in Southwest Colorado,” the newsletter said.
According to the newsletter, Theine’s experience as CEO of Animas Surgical Hospital and executive director of San Juan Basin Public Health contributed to his selection.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in physical education with an emphasis in healthcare management from Regis University and a master’s degree in healthcare delivery science from Dartmouth College.
“Joe is an exceptional leader whose track record of service and deep understanding of our local healthcare landscape make him the ideal person to guide Mercy Hospital into this next chapter,” Pete Powers, president of CommonSpirit’s Greater Colorado & Kansas Market, said in a news release Tuesday. “His passion for our mission and his commitment to our patients align perfectly with the values of this organization.”
Attempts to reach Theine were unsuccessful Wednesday, and a Mercy Hospital representative declined to comment further on the hiring before Theine’s Dec. 7 start date, referring inquiries instead to the news release.
“At this time, we will just say that we’re thrilled to have Joe join us and we will be happy to share more once Joe has settled in,” said Mercy spokeswoman Jordan Vogel in an email to The Durango Herald.
Theine will be Mercy Hospital’s third president in four years. The hospital hired Brandon Mencini in 2022, but he left less than two years later to become CEO of two of Asante’s three hospitals in southern Oregon.
Mercy hired Neff in 2024, but he resigned from the position in July 2026. In July, he declined to comment on his resignation or provide information about his next opportunity.
In a 2024 interview with the Herald, Neff acknowledged the uncertainty communities can face amid repeated CEO turnover and said he hoped to make Southwest Colorado his permanent home.