ER Nurse Cathy Pruitt honored with Mercy Award
July 6, 2021
ELKO, Nevada – Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital (NNRH) announced today that Cathy Pruitt, an emergency room nurse, has been recognized as the hospital’s 2021 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of LifePoint Health’s hospitals 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 established in 2002 to honor the life and contributions of the late Scott Mercy, LifePoint’s founding chairman. The award is considered the highest honor a LifePoint employee can receive.
“At NNRH, 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 Steve Simpson, hospital CEO. “We are extremely proud to recognize Cathy for her efforts on behalf of our patients and our community. Cathy goes above and beyond each day to ensure that every person she encounters receives the highest level of care and compassion.”
A 36-year veteran of the nursing profession, Pruitt has worked the last 18 years in the emergency department at NNRH. As a charge nurse, she oversees other registered nurses and coordinates with physicians and administrators to keep the department running efficiently. According to Simpson, Pruitt is one of the best nurses the hospital has ever seen.
“Everyone in the ER will tell you what a great nurse Cathy is,” Simpson stated. “Not only does she perform her duties with excellence; she also teaches our less-experienced nurses and leads by example. Cathy has impacted countless lives in our community during her years at NNRH. As an ER nurse, she cares for people on what may be their worst day. She treats all of her patients with respect, dignity and deep caring.”
Each hospital winner, including Pruitt, will be considered for LifePoint’s 2021 companywide Mercy Award. The companywide winner will be announced in August and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., which Pruitt and all hospital winners are invited to attend.