The eighth deadliest tornado in US history, an EF5 that was nearly a mile wide, struck the town of Joplin causing irreparable damage to the town and the St. John’s Regional Medical Center. The hospital was a total loss and would need to be demolished. To generate start-up capital to rebuild the hospital, Mercy Joplin partnered with Dini Spheris who guided the ministry through campaign planning and campaign counsel. Mercy Joplin launched a $15 million Advancing Care Together (ACT) Campaign, and within three years, it rebuilt the hospital which included a new neonatal intensive care unit and a new cancer treatment center.
