Central Carolina Hospital recently announced that Denise Hedrick has been recognized as the facility’s 2023 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of Lifepoint Health’s facilities 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.
“At Central Carolina Hospital, we share Lifepoint’s commitment to making communities healthier, and we recognize this is supported by the good work and service of our employees on and off the job,” said Chris Fensterle, CEO of Central Carolina Hospital. “We are extremely proud to recognize Denise Hedrick for her efforts on behalf of our patients and our community. Denise goes above and beyond each and every day to ensure that every person she encounters receives the highest level of care and compassion.”
Denise was recognized for her steadfast commitment to her work team, hospital staff, patients and her community.
“Denise is a dedicated servant to our community,” said Kim Widrick, Rehab Services Director said. “She keeps herself aware of community resources that she is or is not involved in using as an opportunity to connect a patient in need with a service or product they might not otherwise have the ability or means to connect to.
“Denise volunteers with Backpack pals at our local schools delivering food throughout the year to families in need,” Kim said. “She serves our county’s unhoused population working with St. Luke’s ARK Ministry to serve meals and deliver clothes and other needed items. She serves on the Junior Cotillion program working with the youth of Lee County. Denise also opens her home to exchange students regularly. Many of her exchange students remain in touch and she considers them family.
“Denise’s compassion for the people around her is inspiring and unwavering. She is constantly doing something for others whether at work or in our community. She does this while being responsible, conscious and empathetic of the circumstances of other people’s lives, and reliably works to help meet the individual needs of those in her path, without discrimination or hesitation.
“Denise embodies the humanitarian spirit this award was created to recognize.”
Each Lifepoint facility winner, including Denise, will be considered for Lifepoint’s 2023 companywide Mercy Award. The companywide winner will be announced this summer and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, TN, in August.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
