Mahoney Recognized For Distinguished Service To Missouri Hospitals
William Mahoney, President of Cox Medical Center Branson and Senior Vice President of the Community Hospital Group at CoxHealth in Springfield, Mo., has been honored with the Missouri Hospital Association’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Award. The award, established in 1975, honors individuals who have made significant contributions to hospitals, health systems, communities, health care and MHA. The award was presented Nov. 5 at MHA’s 103rd Annual Convention in St. Charles, Mo.
“William understands the power of engagement,” said Jon D. Doolittle, MHA President and CEO. “As a leader of people, he encourages team members to be their best and supports their growth. In addition, he provides leadership in the communities he serves — as a booster for local and regional health, and as a voice in policy that supports the state’s hospital community broadly.”
Since arriving in Missouri in 2011, he has served in numerous governance- and policy-related roles at MHA and beyond. He served as an American Hospital Association Regional Policy Board Delegate from 2015-2017, and as a member of the MHA Board of Trustees from 2015-2022. His visionary leadership and strategic guidance have helped shape and advance the Hospital Industry Data Institute’s data analytics mission and impact. He has been a member of the Rural Hospital Council, MHA Behavioral Health Network and served on the Health Equity Committee and Nominating Committee. He has served as a continuous member of MHA’s Finance and Budget Committee since 2012.
“What has always stood out to me about Cox Branson is the culture, which flows directly from William’s leadership,” says Max Buetow, President and CEO of CoxHealth. “William’s true superpower is his heart for service. He loves people, and he gives the best of himself to improve the lives of our patients and our colleagues.”
In every community he serves, he focuses his energy on harnessing local leadership to build support for the hospital and invest in the systems and services that improve both care and health locally. From his work at rural hospitals in Kansas to his leadership in Branson and among the CoxHealth community hospitals in southwest Missouri, he understands and builds on the character of the communities to improve health.
Mahoney’s values drive his leadership and service. Whether he is lifting up a member of his team or helping guide the future of health care in the state, his focus is always on advancing and improving.
A video honoring Mahoney is available here.
Photo caption: Craig Thompson, P.T., FACHE, CEO of Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare in Clinton, Mo., and 2025 MHA Board Chair, (left) and Jon D. Doolittle, MHA President and CEO of the Missouri Hospital Association (right), present William Mahoney, President of Cox Medical Center Branson and Senior Vice President of the Community Hospital Group at CoxHealth in Springfield, Mo., MHA’s 2025 Distinguished Service Award.
The Missouri Hospital Association is a nonprofit association in Jefferson City that represents 136 Missouri hospitals. In addition to representation and advocacy on behalf of its membership, the association offers continuing education programs on current health care topics and seeks to educate the public about health care issues.