Naman Shrestha
A Greg Berman directorial, Lifetime’s ‘Secrets of Mercy Hospital’ follows the life of a veteran Army nurse named Kendra Williams, who receives the tragic news of her estranged mother’s passing. To attend her funeral, the military major returns to her hometown for the first time since her teenage years. Her plans to leave quickly after the ceremony are disrupted when she uses her experience to help deliver a baby during a roadside emergency. When she notices that the town’s Mercy Hospital needs an extra pair of hands in its maternal and neonatal units, Kendra decides to work there temporarily.
While working at the understaffed, struggling hospital, the nurse is forced to confront her dark past involving a baby daughter she left behind when she fled the town at 18. More complications arise when she learns that her former best friend is married to her teenage love, Vaughn Maddox. The thriller drama movie is set in the protagonist’s small, quaint hometown, with most of the drama unfolding at the fictional Mercy Hospital; thus, each location offers a distinct atmosphere that heightens the film’s tension and suspense.
Where Was Secrets of Mercy Hospital Filmed?
‘Secrets of Mercy Hospital’ was primarily filmed in New York State, specifically in Perinton. From what we can tell, principal photography for the Lifetime production seemingly took place around the summer of 2026, over the course of a couple of weeks. One of the cast members, Suleka Mathew, looked back on her experience of being a part of the project. She stated, “Such joy to work with this lovely bunch of talent, beauty and sweetness.”
Perinton, New York
The town of Perinton, located in New York State’s Monroe County, served as the primary production location for ‘Secrets of Mercy Hospital.’ Within the town, the filming unit reportedly set up camp in the village of Fairport, a suburb of Rochester. In particular, the exterior of the First Baptist Church of Fairport at 94 South Main Street doubled as the fictional Mercy Hospital, where Kendra decides to work temporarily. The permanently closed religious space features in several establishing and exterior shots, along with several of the surrounding establishments and residences.
During a conversation with My Lifetime, Judy Reyes was asked to reveal the hardest scene she was involved in during the production. She stated, “The one that comes to mind immediately was when Kendra sees the baby’s name on the wall and she thought it was gone, and how horrible she feels about that. It takes her to the person that she was then, instead of the person that she became—that person who’s still punishing herself for not knowing how much of those secrets aren’t things that she’s hiding, but other people as well.”
Secrets of Mercy Hospital Cast Details
‘Secrets of Mercy Hospital’ is led by the compelling performances of Judy Reyes and Tahmoh Penikett, who helped bring the enthralling tale to life. With decades of experience in the film industry, Judy has also served as a director of a short film titled ‘The Passion’ and a producer/executive producer for ‘Taino,’ ‘Moment to Moment,’ and ‘Glow Ropes: The Rise and Fall of a Bar Mitzvah Emcee.’ Meanwhile, the graduate of Victoria Motion Picture School, Tahmoh, also has producing credits to his name for projects like ‘The Hostage,’ ‘Check, Please!,’ and ‘Riftworld Chronicles.’ He also worked in the stunt department of the 2010 film ‘Riverworld.’
Judy Reyes as Kendra Williams
Judy Reyes portrays Kendra Williams, a highly experienced Army nurse who takes up a position at the struggling Mercy Hospital in her hometown. In ‘The Circle’ and ‘Smile,’ she plays Congresswoman Santos and Victoria Munoz, respectively. Judy is widely recognized for her portrayal of Nurse Carla Espinosa in ‘Scrubs,’ Zoila Diaz in ‘Devious Maids,’ Selena Soto in ‘High Potential,’ and Dina Milagro in ‘Jane the Virgin.’ She also appears in several movies, including ‘Our Little Secret,’ ‘Christmas, No Filter,’ ‘Turtles All the Way Down,’ and ‘Torn from Her Arms.’
Tahmoh Penikett as Vaughn Maddox
In ‘Secrets of Mercy Hospital,’ Tahmoh Penikett steps into the role of Vaughn Maddox, a doctor at Mercy Hospital and Kendra’s old flame. You might find his face familiar because he stars in the hit Prime Video show ‘Carrie’ as the titular character’s late father, Ralph White, ‘Battlestar Galactica’ as Captain Karl Agathon, ‘Coven Academy’ as William, and ‘Devil in Ohio’ as Malachi. His film credits include ‘Big Time Movie,’ ‘Down River,’ ‘Man of Steel,’ ‘Angel of Christmas,’ and ‘Deadly Secrets by the Lake.’ The Lifetime film also features Suleka Mathew in a supporting role.
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