MercyOne Central Iowa’s top two leaders are stepping down, the Des Moines Register reported. Karl Keeler, who was president, and Phil Harrop, who was interim chief operating officer, “will be leaving the MercyOne system to pursue other opportunities,” according to a brief statement released by MercyOne Central Iowa. “We thank Karl and Phil for their contributions and wish them the best in their new endeavors.” Keeler was hired in 2017 to lead the Des Moines-area portion of the MercyOne system, including Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines. Harrop had been a MercyOne executive since 2018. Both leaders had previously worked in hospital administration for the St. Alphonsus system in Idaho. MercyOne officials did not say why the two are leaving, but said a national search is being launched for their replacements. Regional spokeswoman Marcy Peterson told the Business Record she was not aware of any other changes made in regional leadership by the health system. MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center has in recent years been recognized as a top-performing hospital; it was recognized in 2019 and again in 2020 by industry journal Becker’s Healthcare on its list of 100 great hospitals in America. Mike Wegner, MercyOne executive vice president, will serve as interim president of MercyOne Central Iowa, and Chief Medical Executive Hijinio Carreon will serve as interim chief operating officer.