WATONGA – Oklahoma hospital leader Dustin Yowell is the next administrator of Mercy Hospital Watonga, taking oversight effective Oct. 13.
Yowell succeeds Bobby Stitt, who starts work the same day as chief administrative officer of Mercy Hospital Ada in Southern Oklahoma. Like Stitt before him, Yowell’s responsibilities will also include day-to-day oversight of Mercy Hospital Kingfisher and Mercy Hospital Logan County, Mercy’s other two critical access hospitals in the greater Oklahoma City area.
“It’s the honor of my career so far to be entrusted with leadership at these hospitals, which are each such an important pillar of their community,” said Yowell. “The talent and dedication Mercy caregivers bring to work every day is inspiring to me and all of our leaders. We’re proud to do such important work for our patients, who are our neighbors in these tight-knit communities.”
Yowell is currently the executive director of operations at Mercy’s hospitals in Kingfisher, Logan County and Watonga. He previously served as the director of virtual medicine for Mercy in Oklahoma.
“Dustin’s organizational skills and proven leadership make him a natural fit to take on the administrator role in Kingfisher, Logan County and Watonga,” said Bennett Geister, president of Mercy Oklahoma City Communities. “He’s a mission-driven leader who embodies the spirit of service that makes Mercy a leader in compassionate caregiving.”
Yowell started his health care career in 1999, working in marketing, public relations and sales for the American Cancer Society and pharmaceutical companies. He later moved into client relations at the Oklahoma Blood Institute before joining Mercy. He has an associate of arts degree from Redlands Community College, plus a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Yowell grew up in Sayre in Western Oklahoma. He and his wife have two children.
About Mercy Hospital Watonga
Mercy Hospital Watonga is a 25-bed hospital with acute care and swing bed (skilled care) services, along with inpatient and outpatient therapy, infusion services, emergency care and other treatments.
The hospital has been named Oklahoma’s top critical access hospital. It was the only Oklahoma hospital to make the Chartis Critical Access Hospitals Top 100 for 2025 through performance metrics analyzing quality, patient perspectives and more.
Visit the Mercy Hospital Watonga webpage on mercy.net for more information.