Get to Know David Argueta

Healthcare and service have been two constants to David Argueta’s life, and as the president of Mercy Hospitals Springfield, he sees a lot of opportunity to continue supporting the community. “As a new person coming in, it’s important to have a lot of reverence and respect for Mercy—what it has meant to this community since 1891—and really at the same time to look towards the future,” Argueta says.

Originally from Harlingen, Texas, and the son of an education administrator and a nurse, Argueta followed a passion for healthcare and started formulating where his career could go while studying at Baylor University. Following graduation, he worked for Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, Texas, which eventually became part of the Baylor Scott & White healthcare system. Then after 10 years with Baylor Scott & White, Argueta took a job with Mercy Hospitals in Oklahoma City. Last June, he was asked to consider serving as president of Mercy Hospitals Springfield. Before he considered anything, he consulted with his wife and two daughters. “We do everything together,” Argueta says. “So when we were thinking about the possibility, obviously I talked to them. We came [to Springfield], we visited quickly, and we all kind of agreed: Let’s do it.”

Since moving here last summer, Argueta and his family have settled in nicely. “There are amazing people here in this community who are kind and who care about each other,” Argueta says. “That’s something we’ve experienced from day one. This is an amazing place.”

Outside of his work, Argueta unwinds by playing music, both piano and guitar. He also enjoys supporting the arts and activities that his daughters enjoy, whether that’s his oldest daughter performing at Springfield Little Theater or his youngest’s love for horseback riding. “I just could not be happier and feel so grateful to be here,” Argueta says. “So does our family.”

Looking toward the future, Argueta is inspired by the potential he and his co-workers at Mercy have when it comes to impacting patients’ lives. “In healthcare, you have the ability to change someone’s life with a single interaction,” Argueta says. “Being a part of a team that is really making generational decisions about how we will continue to deliver healthcare in this community for many, many years to come—that’s probably what excites me [most].”