Our Values in Action

Good morning.

Hard to believe we are near the end of September – three-quarters through calendar year 2025. The year has really flown by, an indication of how busy it’s been, and we are making good progress in each of our mission areas. Let’s keep it up for this final quarter and finish strong!

Today, I want to spotlight some employees who are lauded for being exemplars of our UMMC Values. I shared our new values with you in VC Notes at the start of this year. These are the ideals that we should all strive to exhibit in our jobs, and, really, always:

• Integrity – Our shared dedication to honesty, principles, and serving the greater good
• Respect – Our belief that every person is worthy of consideration and kindness
• Excellence – Our drive to work harder, think deeper, and go above and beyond to transform good to great
• Compassion – Our commitment to treat everyone with sympathy and empathy
• Professionalism – Our goal of creating trust through appearance, conduct, communication, and character

The employees listed below are only a fraction of the many who merit recognition, so look at these names as representatives of our employees who are setting the standard. Use their examples and try to match how they exhibit our institutional values.

• Andrew Tyra, finance operations manager for the Health System – 3 years, 4 months of continuous service
  • “Andrew is highly professional in his appearance, conduct and communication. His calm demeanor and collaborative approach have earned the trust of Children’s leaders. He listens carefully, considers different perspectives and communicates his position clearly, helping teams reach well-aligned solutions.” – Jeff Grimsley, associate CFO, clinical operations
• Lee Harbour, nurse manager, Children’s ambulatory and Meridian clinic – 10 years, 3 months
  • “Lee consistently demonstrates UMMC’s values in the way he leads and supports his team. He communicates with honesty and fairness, treats everyone with genuine respect and compassion and models professionalism in both conduct and character. His drive for excellence pushes him to go beyond expectations, always working to serve the greater good.” – Keith Parker, Children’s director of clinical operations for Central Mississippi
• Dr. Driscoll DeVaul, SHRP assistant dean of academic affairs – 24 years, 2 months
  • “Driscoll treats everyone with kindness and respect, making those around him feel valued. His integrity, compassion and commitment to excellence truly reflect the values we hold at UMMC and set an example for others to follow.” – Dr. Jay Garner, SHRP dean
• Dr. Denise Cornelius, vice chair, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology – 13 years, 1 month
  • “Denise embodies all the qualities in the UMMC Values. Not only does she care deeply about her mentees and colleagues, but she serves in national committees in outreach roles to foster other investigators in their research journeys. She guides others on how to face challenges in this field with grace and transparency. She continues to strive for excellence and encourages this in her lab members and her mentees.” – Dr. Babbette LaMarca, chair, pharmacology and toxicology
• Kristin Hardy, Children’s nursing director – 14 years, 2 months
  • “Kristin exemplifies our values in every possible way. She is incredibly generous in sharing all her knowledge and skills. She builds people up and she is always willing to help, even when doing so creates additional work for herself. Kristin puts in the work with excellence and, in doing so, she inspires excellence in others.” – Ellen Hansen, Children’s chief nursing and operations officer
• Kenesha Alexander, med-peds RN at Grants Ferry clinic – 15 years, 2 months
  • “Kenesha has a contagious smile and an upbeat personality which matches her “yes, I will/can” work ethic. She makes a point to get to know patients and remembers little details (pets/family, hobbies, etc.) to talk with them about, which makes them more at ease in their visits. She has developed a friendly working relationship with the front office staff, which helps everything align seamlessly with the back operations, and she welcomes questions and ideas.” – Candice Adams, Department of Medicine, senior director for ambulatory operations
• Dr. Nick Hoda, associate professor of emergency medicine – 12 years, 2 months
  • “Nick drives excellence in education and clinical care at the medical student, resident, fellow and attending levels. He is a constant presence in our emergency department (even when not on shift) looking for training opportunities. He has spearheaded the development of new ultrasound techniques in our ED that maximize the effectiveness of cardiac resuscitation, and he tirelessly strives to ensure quality care is provided to all patients.” – Dr. Kendall McKenzie, chair of emergency medicine
• Annie Oeth, public relations specialist II – 9 years, 11 months
  • “If you want something done well, ahead of time and with a smile, give it to Annie. Her commitment to UMMC values is evident in her interactions with employees, news media, patients and their families, modeling the professionalism expected of a representative of the Medical Center.” – Patrice Guilfoyle, director of communications
• Dr. Amol Janorkar, SOD chair of the Department of Biomedical Materials Science – 18 years, 1 month
  • “Amol’s leadership exemplifies unwavering commitment to ethical research and dedication to collaborative growth and makes him a model employee and a true reflection of the Medical Center’s core values of professionalism and excellence. His vision, fairness and strategic insight have led many initiatives under his guidance reach their full potential. He fosters an atmosphere of transparency, merit and inclusivity all while striving for his own continuous growth.” – Dr. Pia Chatterjee Kirk, SOD interim dean
• Dr. Kim Douglas, SON director of the nurse educator track – 26 years, 5 months
  • “Kim is a perfect example of an employee who embodies UMMC’s values. She always has a positive attitude and handles responsibilities with integrity. She sets a strong example for others to follow while supporting and encouraging both students and colleagues. I can’t think of a better person to have as a role model for the next generation of nurse educators.” – Dr. Tina Martin, SON dean
• Dr. Lyssa Weatherly, SOM assistant dean for student affairs – 13 years, 2 months
  • “Lyssa truly is compassionate and empathetic, operating with the basic belief that people are good. She leads with her heart but is realistic about the imperfections that we all have. She has done the difficult work of getting to know herself really well and brings her authentic self to work every day.  Because she is genuine and approachable, people gravitate towards her. She is always professional.” – Dr. Loretta Jackson-Williams, SOM vice dean for education
• Neal Kiihnl, manager, UMMC Comprehensive Stroke Center – 23 years, 3 months
  • “Neal has developed an incredible number of multidisciplinary relationships, both internally and externally. His collaboration with many stakeholders has led our organization towards our goals of Excellence in Stroke Patient Care. He is a true asset in that he exhibits the utmost respect to our organization’s mission and core values. And he uses his integrity and many professional attributes to further invest in others throughout the organization.” – Jason Zimmerman, chief nursing officer, adult hospitals
• Jackie Harris, Human Resources assistant supervisor – 22 years
  • “Jackie’s commitment to service excellence consistently exemplifies professionalism in every interaction. Her dedication not only enhances the experience of those she serves but also reflects positively on our team and UMMC.” – Tommy Hoffman, manager, HR Service Center
• Jenna Mitchell, Department of Psychiatry, director of research operations – 4 years, 2 months
  • “Jenna absolutely epitomizes the five UMMC Values. In fact, these five words go a long way in describing her as an exceptional employee and as a person. Jenna’s impact on both our department and on UMMC has been transformative. She has improved every facet of our departmental research mission and, importantly, she also thinks far beyond our department, constantly striving to improve our impact at the university level and beyond.” – Dr. James Rowlett, professor of psychiatry
• Leslie Webb, sonographer lead – 16 years, 8 months
  • “Leslie is one in a million – an outstanding employee whose dedication, kindness and professionalism set her apart and inspire everyone around her. She shows unwavering kindness and compassion daily that leaves lasting impressions on everyone she encounters. She truly is an asset to our team and organization.” – Brittani Crist, manager, ultrasound
• Benita Spann, UMMC Holmes County charge nurse – 25 years, 5 months
  • ”Benita exemplifies compassion by actively listening to employees’ concerns and responding with empathy and support. She creates a culture of care by considering the well-being of our patients, community and team members in every decision and action.” – Paige Lawrence, senior director, community hospitals
• Eleanor Young, Department of Dermatology, physician scheduler III – 7 years, 2 months
  • “Eleanor exemplifies professionalism, kindness, empathy, and compassion in her role and to everyone she encounters. She embodies all the values that we embrace at UMMC and in the department.” – Walton Mallette, director of clinical operations, dermatology