Cassville man’s grandfather a role model in care industry

By Sheila Harris [email protected]

Caden Swearingen, of Cassville, was a recipient of Mercy Health’s 2025 Values in Action Award for the southern Missouri region that includes Thayer, Hollister, Branson and Springfield, during a special ceremony held in Springfield on Sept. 23. 

Swearingen, one of 12 recipients of the annual awards, works as a medical assistant for Shell Knob Family Medicine, a Mercy Clinic.

Swearingen’s practice manager, Melissa Stanley, nominated him for the honor because he exemplifies the Mercy values of “dignity, justice, service, excellence and stewardship,” she said.

“Not only has [Caden] grown tremendously in his role as an MA, but he also brings an undeniable joy to his fellow caregivers and patients,” Stanley stated in the nomination she submitted to Mercy’s selection committee.

Stanley also noted Swearingen’s work as a “true leader” in Shell Knob and the surrounding communities, because of “his passion for bringing people together” and “playing a hands-on role in organizing and supporting community events, such as the Cassville Community Christmas, a [community] lemonade stand and the establishment of the Cassville Firefighter Auxiliary.”

“He has a remarkable ability to connect with people from all walks of life, making them feel valued and cared for,” Stanley said.

Swearingen credits his grandfather, Fred Whisenhunt, of Butterfield, with being one of the most influential role models in his life and in his healthcare journey.

Whisenhunt, a retired home health RN for the Mercy Healthcare system, began pursuing a nursing degree in the late 1980s, when acceptance into a nursing program was extremely competitive. He was in his early 40s at the time.

“There were 20 openings available for the 160 applications they received,” Whisenhunt said.

When Whisenhunt was approved for a slot in Crowder College’s second class of nursing students in Neosho in 1990, he suspects the decision was based on his gender, although nobody ever confirmed that suspicion.

“I was one of three males chosen,” he said.

Unlike some of his earlier endeavors, nursing offered Whisenhunt long-term rewards.

After high school, Whisenhunt enlisted in the Navy, but received an early discharge for medical reasons. He then pursued and acquired a Bachelor’s degree from then-Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State) in 1977, with plans to become a teacher. He quickly discovered the field was saturated.

“A person couldn’t buy a teaching position,” he said. “So, I went to work for Wells Aluminum in Monett. There, it was kind of a joke that so many of us had college degrees that didn’t really count for anything, when it came to getting a job.”

Whisenhunt worked in a supervisory role for Wells for about 10 years, when he was told that his entire department was being dispensed with. Once again, he found himself unemployed.

“I’d always been interested in medicine,” Whisenhunt said. “So, I decided to pursue a nursing career. I’ve always liked going to school, so the thought of more classes didn’t bother me.”

Whisenhunt graduated from the Crowder College’s nursing program in 1993, and went to work for what was then South Barry County Hospital in Cassville. He kind of walked into the job, he said.

“When they heard I was going to nursing school, they begged me to go to work for them after I graduated,” he said. “I worked on the floor as a respiratory therapist for a while, then they put me in charge of maintenance, housekeeping and durable medical equipment.”

Although Whisenhunt filled the roles that were asked of him, he reached a point where, one day, he told the hospital administrator that the jobs he was doing weren’t what he went to school for.

When an opening in Home Health Care came along, Whisenhunt stepped into a role that felt like a custom fit. The next years were spent mostly on the road, covering a broad swathe of southwest Missouri.

“I visited an average of about five patients a day,” Whisenhunt said.

Whisenhunt watched South Barry County Hospital transition to St. John’s, then to Mercy throughout the duration of his career.

He retired in 2020 to kick back on his farm, where he keeps company with his wife, Jean, who stood by his side through his undulating careers.

“As long as we had money coming in to pay the bills, I didn’t care where he worked,” she said.

Swearingen said, while growing up, he watched his grandpa (Fred) live out what it means “to care for others with compassion, patience and dedication.”

“He’s the kind of medical professional and role model I strive to be,” Swearingen said.

When Swearingen attended Mercy’s Values in Action award ceremony in Springfield, in September, he was allowed to take one guest with him. He chose his grandfather, Fred Whisenhunt.

“I feel truly honored to have been selected for this award from Mercy,” Swearingen said, “and I’m grateful to the Shell Knob community and my coworkers for welcoming me with open arms.

“I’m grateful to call Mercy Clinic Shell Knob home,” he said.

Swearingen plans to pursue his Medical Assistant certification through Mercy and enroll in nursing school at a later date.