John W. Werner has been named the new CEO/Administrator at Oakland Mercy Hospital and Clinics in Oakland. The appointment was announced by Brian Monsma, the Vice President of Network Development for Mercy Medical Center. Werner will begin his new role in Oakland on Monday, Oct. 22. Werner comes to Oakland after having served for 14 years as the Chief Operations Officer for the Siouxland Medical Education Foundation (SMEF) in Sioux City. SMEF is the only residency program in northwest Iowa. It was established in cooperation with Sioux City's two hospitals and community physicians in 1975. Prior to joining SMEF in 1998, Werner worked for more than 20 years in the health care industry at Alegent Health, Immanuel Medical Center and Creighton University School of Medicine, all in Omaha. Werner earned his B. A. in Business Administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University and his M.B.A. from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He and his family currently reside in Hinton, Iowa, and look forward to their transition to the Oakland and Burt County community.