Christopher Ruppert named chief nursing officer at Catholic Health Mercy Hospital

Christopher Ruppert has been named the new chief nursing officer and vice president of patient care services at Catholic Health Mercy Hospital in Rockville Centre.

Joseph Manopella, the hospital’s president, said he was thrilled with the appointment.

“It’s an exciting time at Mercy as we are in the midst of a renaissance,” Manopella said in a statement. “I am confident that Chris’ expertise, hands-on experience and commitment to delivering high-quality patient care, while supporting and collaborating with our exceptional nurses, will lend to increasing outcomes and overall clinical excellence.”

Since 1913, when the nursing sisters of the Congregation of the Infant Jesus founded the hospital, it has grown into a 42-acre campus, providing a wide range of different health care services.

Now, nearly 110 years later, hospital administrators said they are working to expand services and invest in infrastructure to provide patients with access to the best and most state-of-the-art health care available.

During the past year, the hospital has celebrated the opening of its new Center for Pain Management, and it plans to soon unveil a new 16,000-square-foot Ambulatory and Family Care Center. 

Ruppert, a registered nurse with 17 years of experience in hospital operations, leadership, education, emergency management and medicine, is a welcome addition to Mercy, officials said, thanks to his many years of experience working with both patients and staff.

“I am here to help fulfill Catholic Health Services’ mission,” Ruppert said. “We want to provide a good experience for the staff, an excellent experience for the patients, lower costs where we can, while providing the best quality outcomes.”

Ruppert most recently spent over six years at Lenox Hill Hospital on the Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where he served as director of nursing, operations and finance and was responsible for strategic planning, staffing and day-to-day nursing operations.

“The president has previously stated that Mercy is going through a renaissance, and it’s exciting to be part of the change,” Ruppert said. “I am glad to be part of a team that shares this vision.”

A Long Island native, Ruppert earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and anthropology from SUNY Albany in 2004, and an associate’s degree in nursing from Albany Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 2006. He went on to earn a master’s in business administration from Hofstra University in 2011 and a master’s in nursing education from LIU Post in 2017.

Ruppert began work as a registered nurse at Northwell Health’s Emergency Department in Valley Stream, and eventually became the administrator of hospital operations and the assistant director of nursing before joining Lenox Hill.  He was also an adjunct professor at nearby Molloy University from 2017 to 2021.

In addition to his new position at Mercy, Ruppert will serve as a lieutenant junior grade assistant nurse officer with the U.S. Public Health Service. He welcomed the opportunity to serve his country during the pandemic, joining the only uniformed service dedicated to the nation’s health to help provide clinical care to communities in need.

While serving as a public health service officer in July 2021, he was also selected to be part of the first commissioned class of the Ready Reserve Corps, an elite group of health responders responsible for promoting, protecting and advancing the health and safety of the nation.