After serving in an interim role, Brett Bechtel, MD, has accepted the position of chief clinical officer of Mercy Health – Kentucky, effective June 20.
Dr. Bechtel has been a practicing emergency medicine physician at Mercy Health – Lourdes Hospital for the last eight years. He is also the medical director for Mercy Regional EMS and Carlisle County EMS and served as Lourdes Hospital’s president of the medical staff from 2019 through 2021.
“Since arriving in western Kentucky over eight years ago, Brett has cemented his reputation as a trusted provider of emergency medical care and as a leader not just at Lourdes Hospital but also in our community,” said Mercy Health – Kentucky President Mike Yungmann. “His excellent relationships with our nurses, doctors and staff and our EMS teams position him to be an effective chief clinical officer from day one.”
Before joining Mercy Health, Dr. Bechtel was a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy for three years and served as assistant program director and emergency medicine physician at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va. In 2012, he served with the U.S. Marine Corps as a physician and officer in charge at a shock trauma platoon in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
Dr. Bechtel earned his bachelor’s degree in biology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. He earned his medical degree at Wake Forest School of Medicine. He completed his emergency medicine residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., where he served as chief resident and instructor of emergency medicine. He is board-certified in emergency medicine.
Dr. Bechtel replaces Jenny Franke, MD, who retired earlier this year.
Dr. Bechtel has been a practicing emergency medicine physician at Mercy Health – Lourdes Hospital for the last eight years. He is also the medical director for Mercy Regional EMS and Carlisle County EMS and served as Lourdes Hospital’s president of the medical staff from 2019 through 2021.
“Since arriving in western Kentucky over eight years ago, Brett has cemented his reputation as a trusted provider of emergency medical care and as a leader not just at Lourdes Hospital but also in our community,” said Mercy Health – Kentucky President Mike Yungmann. “His excellent relationships with our nurses, doctors and staff and our EMS teams position him to be an effective chief clinical officer from day one.”
Before joining Mercy Health, Dr. Bechtel was a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy for three years and served as assistant program director and emergency medicine physician at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, Va. In 2012, he served with the U.S. Marine Corps as a physician and officer in charge at a shock trauma platoon in Helmand Province in Afghanistan.
Dr. Bechtel earned his bachelor’s degree in biology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. He earned his medical degree at Wake Forest School of Medicine. He completed his emergency medicine residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., where he served as chief resident and instructor of emergency medicine. He is board-certified in emergency medicine.
Dr. Bechtel replaces Jenny Franke, MD, who retired earlier this year.