Award Winning Employees
Highpoint Health with Ascension Saint Thomas is proud to have nearly 1,000 employees that make up our team. From doctors, nurses, and therapists, to electricians, EVS and nutrition crew, our hospital operates everyday because of the people inside. The hard work of our team does not go unnoticed. In fact, we aim to recognized our outstanding team members for the life-saving efforts they provide from the front-line, to behind the scenes.
Take a look at some of our Award Programs in place that allow patients, families, and peers to nominate a team member who goes above and beyond at their job.
DAISY Award | ELITE Award | BEE Award | Lifepoint Mercy Award
Nominate a Nurse or Staff Member Here
The DAISY Award
The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day.
The DAISY Foundation was established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes after he died from complications of the auto-immune disease ITP in 1999. During his hospitalization, Patrick’s family deeply appreciated the care and compassion shown not only to Patrick, but to all of them as well. When he passed, they felt compelled to say “thank you” to nurses in a very public way.
Highpoint Health – Sumner partnered with the DAISY Foundation to recognize excellence in nursing and the phenomenal things our nurses do for our patients, their families, our facility, and the community.
Highpoint Health – Sumner 2023 Winners
Quarter 1- Becky Wellman, Jasper Barao, and Alex Aguinaldo
Quarter 2- Asa Underwood and Breanna Calhoun
Quarter 3- Blake Holmes
Quarter 4- Suz Wetzel- Duncan
Highpoint Health – Riverview 2022 Winner
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Bill Dycus
Highpoint Health – Riverview 2023 Winner
Karen Everett
The ELITE Award
The ELITE Award is an employee recognition award given to employees who exemplify Lifepoint's Core Values of:
- Champion Patient Care
- Do the Right Thing
- Embrace Individuality
- Act with Kindness
- Make a Difference Together
ELITE Award winners are chosen quarterly and nominated by peers. This award aims to recognize our employees in 3 different areas, clinical, non-clinical, and nursing, for exemplifying our core values. At the end of the year, the ELITE Employee of the Year will be chosen from the 12 award winners.
Highpoint Health – Sumner 2023 Winners
Quarter 1-
Non-Clinical Winner: Annie Duncan, EVS Technician
Clinical Winner: Sharon Davis, Pharmacy Lead Tech, Purchasing Agent
Nursing Winner: Lisa Franklin, Staff Assistant, Same Day Surgery
Quarter 2-
Non-Clinical Winner: Dana Price, Patient Access Rep
Clinical Winner: Jessica Reece, Case Management
Nursing Winner: Blake Holmes, RN, A4, B2
Quarter 3-
Non-Clinical Winner: Barbara Belote, Therapy Operations Coordinator
Clinical Winner: Tara Mungle, Physical Therapy Assistant
Nursing Winner: Lisa Wheat, RN Labor and Delivery
Highpoint Health – Riverview 2023 Winners
Chris White, Plant Operations
Jennifer Holmes, Respiratory Therapy
Karen Everett, Med/Surg
Laurie Rathbun, RN Med/Surg
David Floyd, Respiratory
Holly Wix, Nutritional
Margie Martin, Nutrition
Josh Mullinax, Respiratory Care Practitioner
Kristy Green, CNT
Kim Givens, Admin Assistant
Philip Davis, MSW
Gracie White, RN
Highpoint Health – Trousdale 2023 Winners
Erika Burgett, Respiratory
Vickie Harper, Nutritional Services
McKensey Scott, RN Emergency Room
Susann Moulton, Rehab
Stephen Woodard, EVS
Greg Jones, ER
Ashley Farley, Lab
Betty Baines, Nutritional
Leeanna Swaney, Med/Surg
Mary Qualls, Med/Surg
Courtney Cherry, Radiology
David Horner, Plant Operations
The BEE Award
Like a bee pollinates a flower, the BEE Award compliments the DAISY. This award started at Highpoint Health – Sumner to recognize a staff member for going above and beyond the expectations of quality and care.
2023 Winners
Quarter 1- Ashton Bracken, Patient Care Tech
Quarter 2- Eric Hudgins, Physical Therapist
Quarter 3- Amber Hendrix, Respiratory Therapist
Quarter 4- Ben Parker, Patient Care Technician
The Lifepoint Mercy Award
Once a year, each Lifepoint Health facility recognizes one employee who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded. The Mercy Award is an annual recognition program that honors the life and contributions of Scott Mercy, Lifepoint’s founding chairman, and chief executive officer. The award is considered the highest honor a Lifepoint employee can receive.
Highpoint Health – Sumner 2024 Winner
Stephanie Rutledge
Stephanie in so many ways excels and embraces those around her in a selfless manner, generously sharing her time, energy, and spirit with everyone she comes
in to contact with. She has a humanitarian heart, a giving spirit, and shows compassion to those around her, as well as to those who are not aware she is praying for them. Stephanie has a deep sense of compassion and connection with people regardless of their socio-economic background and feels humble and grateful to be a part of someone else’s life-journey – she shows them respect, appreciation, empathy, and kindness. She conducts herself with the utmost integrity, focused on doing the right thing and making excellence a top priority in everything she does. Not only does she dedicate herself to being a good steward of her time and energy while at Highpoint Health – Sumner, she makes her church and the community a high priority in her life as well. She has a passion for serving others – she sits on the Health Information Advisory Board at Vol State University and is heavily involved with many initiatives at First Baptist Church [Chairperson of Sister2Sister Women’s Ministry and an active member of Women Lifting Women, Bereavement Ministry, Volunteer Stay Warm Shelter, & Volunteer Feed Sumner Food Drives]
Stephanie naturally has a giving, encouraging, and forgiving nature towards everyone she knows as well as to strangers she meets daily, while at work and while living her life outside of work. We see this Spirit of Mercy daily within our hospital through her actions and interactions, and we witness her unwavering support and encouragement to her family and church members. Her dedication to excellence and doing the right thing for our hospital and the community serves as an example for those around her and further highlights her thoughtfulness, her selflessness, her compassion, and her integrity.
Highpoint Health – Riverview 2024 Winner
Morgan Cooper
Morgan Cooper truly embodies the spirit of a Mercy Award Winner. This is evidenced by her daily contributions to our facility and our local community. Within
Highpoint Health-Riverview, Morgan demonstrates a sincere desire to positively impact the culture of our facility, quality, and patient safety. Although her personal attributes, leadership qualities, and adoption of all core values are recognizable during her daily responsibilities as a Labor and Delivery Registered Nurse, her commitment spans far beyond her basic job description. Most recently, she volunteered to be a champion for various recruitment efforts, participated in multiple process improvements, was elected as a nursing council member, and served as the organizer for upcoming Nurse’s Week events. To Morgan, patient safety and culture are not simply a responsibility but a passion.
In addition to these extraordinary efforts, Morgan recently demonstrated fiscal responsibility and initiative. Through coordination, Morgan identified an opportunity for a CuddleCot and secured grant funding. Recently, I witnessed the “maiden voyage” of the CuddleCot. Although deeply saddened for a young couple’s loss, there was a moment of personal peace. It was because of Morgan’s efforts; this patient and family were able to grieve without time constraints. Morgan gifted them with irreplaceable closure and memories.
Furthermore, Morgan consistently participates in community events to market services, promote health equity, and support local agencies. This includes attending an annual Gala, organizing/participating in multiple Community Baby Showers, and providing EMS with education for maternal/neonatal emergencies.
Highpoint Health – Trousdale 2024 Winner
Vicki Harper
Vicki is a very kind, caring and thoughtful person who works in our dietary department. She is always attempting to meet the needs of our patients and staff by.jpg)
going above and beyond her duties to please everyone. She is a team player both in her department and other departments if needed. She never complains about working or helping those in need. She is reliable, dedicated to her duties on the job, dependable and quiet but very friendly if spoken to. She is a mother who is very dedicated to her children, God children and grandchildren. Vicki is a hard worker who is always on time for her shift. Not to mention, her food is great!
She volunteers at her church functions along with her family. She spends her time off making crafts such as t-shirts, key chains, and more to sell in craft fairs, along with organizing and participating in fundraising which is a benefit to her church.