Toledo Leadership

Bob Baxter
President, Mercy Health - Toledo

Bob is the President of the Toledo Market for Bon Secours Mercy Health, the largest health system in Ohio.  As a leader in the Toledo, Baxter oversees strategy and operations for eight hospitals -- eight hospitals, including a children’s hospital and a Level 1 Trauma Center – one college, Life Flight critical care network and more than 100 sites of care across Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.  

Bob previously served as the President and CEO, St. Rita’s Health Partners and Senior Vice President, Mercy Health which included two hospitals, four physician joint ventures and a wholly owned physician enterprise. Prior to joining Mercy Health, Baxter served as the Chief Operating Officer at Rapid City Regional Hospital in South Dakota.

He received his bachelor’s degree from The University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota.  He received a MBA and a MA in Hospital and Health Administration from The University of Iowa.

Bob is a member of the Board of Directors for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Regional Growth Partnership, United Way of Greater Toledo, and ConnectToledo Downtown Development Corporation. He previously served as a delegate to the American Hospital Association (AHA) Regional Policy Board, a member of the ACHE Chapters Committee, President of the South Dakota Healthcare Executive Group, and received the ACHE Early Career Healthcare Executives Regent’s Award. 

Jim Weidner
Chief Operating Officer, Mercy Health - Toledo

Jim has responsibility for the operations and performance of the region’s hospitals and associated outpatient sites. In this key position, he is responsible for driving quality, patient safety and customer service to even higher levels. He has oversight for the region’s eight hospitals in Toledo, Oregon, Tiffin, Willard and Defiance with more than 8,800 employees, nearly 630 members of our clinically integrated network and revenues of nearly $1 billion.

Jim works extensively with hospital presidents to meet the needs of physicians and their patients across the board and in key services for which Mercy Health is known – cardiology, oncology, neurology and critical care services. Enhancing operational effectiveness is a key component to his role in helping to further Mercy Health’s mission to care for all in need.

Jim came to Mercy Health in November 2017 with more than 20 years of progressive healthcare operations experience, with a strong record of delivering results, measured by clinical excellence, patient satisfaction, cost control and revenue growth.  

Prior to his role at Mercy Health, he served as regional vice president for Quorum Health Corporation, where he led the system’s largest region consisting of 13 hospitals in Colorado and Illinois. Prior to Quorum Health, Jim was CEO/President of Cullman Regional Medical Center, a 145-bed medical center in Alabama.  He has also served as COO of St. Charles Hospital, a subsidiary of Catholic Health Services of Long Island NY, CEO of Providence Hospital, a subsidiary of Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, and held various executive positions with Conemaugh Health System in central PA.

Deb Bryant, DNP, RN
Chief Nursing Officer of Mercy Health – Toledo.

Deb Bryant, DNP, RN, joined Mercy Health in December 2019 as Chief Nursing Officer for Mercy Health - St. Anne and Mercy Health - St. Charles in Toledo.  Prior to Deb’s role at Mercy Health, she served as CNO in the Saint Joseph Health System in Lexington Kentucky. 

 Deb has nursing experience in pediatrics, pediatric oncology, Intensive Care Unit, and emergency care. Her extensive accomplishments include team building across the Lexington market, increasing nursing retention, and succession planning in the nursing departments. Deb’s experience also included her tenure in the US Army Reserves as a member of a forward surgical team. She was the commander of this team for 6 years before her retirement.  

Deb began her nursing career with an associate in nursing degree from the Lexington Community College. She earned her Doctorate in Nursing Practice from Eastern Kentucky University in 2015. Deb is a member of the American Nurses Association, Ohio Nurses Association, Emergency Nurses Association, and the American Organization of Nursing Leaders.