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UP Health System announces the winners of the 2015 Mercy Award at each of its three Upper Peninsula hospitals. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of LifePoint Health’s more than 60 hospitals, including UPHS – Bell, UPHS – Marquette and UPHS – Portage, who profoundly touch the lives of others and best represent the spirit and values on which the company was founded.
UP Health System operates three hospitals and several clinics in the region, including UPHS – Marquette, UPHS – Bell and UPHS – Portage.
The UPHS – Bell Mercy Award winner is David Poirier, pharmacist. The UPHS – Marquette Mercy Award winner is Amy Harju, senior system analyst, Information Technology Department. At UPHS – Portage, the Mercy Award winner is Brian Laakonen, pharmacy courier.
The Mercy Award program is an annual recognition that was established in 2002 to honor the life of Scott Mercy, LifePoint (the hospitals’ parent company) founding chairman and CEO. The Mercy Award is considered the highest honor a LifePoint employee can receive.
UPHS – Bell CEO Mitch Leckelt said of Poirier, “Many people know Dave as the friendly pharmacist at Bell Hospital who always takes the extra time to ensure patients are both informed and comfortable with their prescribed medications. But Dave has also been involved in many volunteer activities within Marquette County, including more than 30 years with Cancer Care of Marquette County. Dave’s donation of countless hours of his personal time to help cancer patients has impacted many families in the community.”
Harju is also being recognized for her work both at the hospital and in the community. Ed Banos, UPHS – Marquette CEO, explained, “Amy recognizes the team’s role in the total patient experience and ensures that the patient is at the center of all they do each and every day. However, her commitment to service goes far beyond her job at our hospital. As a kidney transplant recipient, she understands and has responded to the needs of those in our community who need an organ transplant. She dedicates much of her time to a foundation that she established to support organ transplant patients and help defer costs associated with travel and testing.”
UP Health System – Portage CEO Jeff Lang cited Laakonen’s close bond with homebound patients as one reason he was named that hospital’s Mercy Award winner. “Brian supplies an essential service to our community, delivering prescription medications,” Lang said. “The patients Brian sees everyday are homebound and go days without seeing anyone. Brian’s smiling face and genuine care for everybody makes him a sight for sore eyes. The patients often call the pharmacy just to say how wonderful Brian is.”
UP Health System Market President Jim Bogan explained, “At UP Health System, we share LifePoint’s commitment to making communities healthier, and we recognize that this is supported by the good work and service of our employees on and off the job. We are extremely proud to recognize Dave, Amy and Brian on behalf of our patients and our community. They all go above and beyond to ensure that every person they encounter is treated with the highest level of care and compassion.”
Each hospital winner will now be considered for LifePoint’s 2015 company-wide Mercy Award. The company-wide winner will be announced this summer and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, TN, in August, to which all hospital winners are invited.
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About LifePoint Health
LifePoint Health was founded in 1999 on the idea that everyone deserves quality healthcare close to home and that strong healthcare creates strong communities. Today, LifePoint Health has grown into a leading healthcare company with more than $5.5 billion in revenues. We own and operate:
- more than 60 community hospitals
- more than 1,100 physician practices
- nearly 40 post-acute service providers and facilities including home health and hospice services, long-term care services, nursing homes and assisted living facilities
- more than 30 outpatient centers, including urgent care centers, diagnostic imaging centers, ambulatory surgery centers, and radiation oncology programs.
We also maintain relationships with more than 4,100 physicians across our communities. Our nearly 38,000 employees and affiliated partners remain unified in striving to achieve our mission every day.
