CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pamela Slaven-Lee, DNP, APRN, FAANP, will lead Mercy’s Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Cape Girardeau as its new president, as selected by the college’s Board of Trustees.

Dr. Slaven-Lee comes to Mercy from C3 Cares, a nurse-led community healthcare organization helping underserved communities in Washington, D.C., where she was chief operating officer. During her tenure, she enhanced the organization’s financial sustainability, developed strategic partnerships and led and developed the adoption of the organization’s mission, vision and core values.

She also recently served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. In this role, Dr. Slaven-Lee oversaw all academic programs, research, faculty and student academic support services across multiple campuses and research centers. Under her leadership, Marymount expanded its graduate and professional offerings, strengthened its grant actions and achieved Research University classification by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

“Pamela is widely recognized for building and growing strong academic programs including well-regarded online offerings,” said Stephanie Clements, Mercy’s senior vice president and chief nurse executive. “She is exactly the right choice not only to grow our college locally in Southeast Missouri but across our Mercy communities throughout Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma. We are confident her vast experience with boosting enrollment, supporting faculty and aligning budgets will propel our college to the next level.”

Dr. Slaven-Lee has also held senior academic leadership roles at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., overseeing all online and in-person undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs across 47 states and Washington D.C. During her tenure, the George Washington University School of Nursing achieved a top 10 national ranking for its online master’s degree program.

“I have always been drawn to institutions that combine academic excellence with a strong sense of mission and values while preparing students to become thoughtful, compassionate and highly capable providers and Mercy embodies all of these qualities,” Dr. Slaven-Lee said. ” I’m honored to join this exceptional community and look forward to working alongside our talented faculty, staff, students and partners to continue strengthening and expanding Mercy’s impact. Together, we have an extraordinary opportunity to prepare the next generation of healthcare professionals while contributing to the long-term health and vitality of the communities we have the privilege to serve.”

A nurse practitioner who has earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice, Dr. Slaven-Lee is also active in her community, currently serving as a founding board member of Wreaths Across America, an organization dedicated to remembering fallen service members and honoring veterans.

She is married to retired United States Marine Ho K. Lee, who recently retired after 23 years of service. They have three sons.

As president of Mercy’s Southeast Missouri Hospital College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Dr. Slaven-Lee will lead its campus in Cape Girardeau, which offers nine academic programs and online offerings.

Dr. Slaven-Lee succeeds Dr. Steven Langdon, a 40-year veteran of higher education who recently retired after serving as president of the college for seven years.

“Steve’s steady leadership has ensured our college is set for the future,” Clements said. “His efforts to build our existing academic programs and usher in new ones to train and supply the next generation of healthcare workers ensure our community will be well cared for years to come. We thank Steve for his lasting impact.”

Dr. Slaven-Lee will begin her tenure with the college on July 6.

Mercy, one of the 15 largest U.S. health systems and named the top large system in the U.S. for excellent patient experience by NRC Health, serves millions annually with nationally recognized care and one of the nation’s largest and highest performing Accountable Care Organizations in quality and cost. Mercy is a highly integrated, multi-state healthcare system including 55 acute care and specialty (heart, children’s, orthopedic and rehab) hospitals, convenient and urgent care locations, imaging centers and pharmacies. Mercy has over 1,000 physician practice locations and outpatient facilities, more than 5,000 physicians and advanced practitioners and more than 50,000 caregivers serving patients and families across Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has clinics, outpatient services and outreach ministries in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. In fiscal year 2025 alone, Mercy provided more than half a billion dollars of free care and other community benefits, including traditional charity care and unreimbursed Medicaid.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mercys-southeast-missouri-hospital-college-of-nursing-and-health-sciences-welcomes-new-president-302788907.html

SOURCE Mercy