Legacy of Faith capital campaign
February 19, 2025
Mercy College of Health Sciences in downtown Des Moines has launched a $15 million capital campaign to build a new facility dedicated to nursing simulation and learning.
The new 24,000-square-foot facility will be named the Joyce E. Lillis School of Nursing, honoring the 47-year nurse who in retirement continues to give her time to the profession by serving on the college’s board.
The new building will replace an unused building on Mercy College’s downtown Des Moines campus
“We are committed to making Mercy College of Health Sciences a leader in health science education and establishing a premier school of choice for those seeking a career in healthcare,” said school President Adreain Henry, OD, EdD, MBA. “Thanks to the generosity of Terry and Joyce Lillis, what was once an abandoned, condemned building on campus will become a beacon of faith for our downtown community and those who dream of a career in nursing.”
Joyce and her husband, Terry, provided a lead gift of $2.5 million to launch the campaign.
Lillis, who graduated in 1977 from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in nursing, sees nursing as a blend of art, science, and faith.
“It’s also very spiritual,” she said.
As she began her nursing career at Kossuth County Hospital in Algona, she was committed to compassionate care, both medically and emotionally. Patients, she knew, put their faith in medical staff during difficult medical journeys.
In 1979, she served as a public health administrator with the Iowa County Public Health Agency in Williamsburg. She joined the staff of Mercy Medical Center and worked on earning a master’s degree in nursing when her family moved to Des Moines. She served as the director of Mercy Home Care beginning in 1999, overseeing hundreds of healthcare professionals.
She retired in 2016, but continued to promote nursing education with her husband by establishing the Joyce E. Lillis Endowed Nursing Scholarship in 2016 that helps students seeking a nursing degree. She’s also served on the college’s board of directors, becoming board chair last year. She and Terry also became founding members of the college’s 1899 Society, a charitable giving circle that provides equipment, advanced technology, and other resources to students.
“Joyce’s career revolved around serving others with compassion and reverence,” said Dr. Henry. “She has seen firsthand the difference a good nurse can make in the positive outcomes for patients. She has been that nurse, and she has been responsible for ensuring those nurses are there to inspire faith for their patients.”
Joyce continues to keep her hand in healthcare by volunteering at InnerVisions Healthcare Medical Clinic and Catholic Charities.
“I believe in nursing,” she said. “I know there aren’t enough nurses in this world, I know that they work very hard. They are the foundation for our healthcare today.”
The Legacy of Faith capital campaign promises newly designed classrooms and simulation labs with modern patient care technology and hands-on experiences that reflect what they will encounter once they graduate and practice in a healthcare environment.
It builds on a solid Catholic, accredited, nonprofit foundation, and lays the groundwork for the education of future healthcare professionals.
Mercy College of Health Sciences was founded 125 years ago by the Sisters of Mercy to staff Mercy Hospital, now called MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. The college offers master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees, certificates, and continuing education courses.
To learn more, go to MCHS.edu/Campaign