The Impact of Our Actions

Good morning.

One of the things I appreciate most about working at UMMC is that our values are not just words on a page. Every day, employees across our institution bring those values to life through acts of kindness, empathy and compassion that often go unnoticed.

Today, I want to recognize one of those silent successes.

Late on a Sunday evening in June, Keith DuBard arrived at UMMC after receiving devastating news. His mother had been flown here after suffering a stroke. Keith had never been to our campus before. It was dark, he was unfamiliar with the area, and he was trying to find his way to the emergency department.

As he was driving around campus, he noticed a UMMC police officer, Jadarius Collins, across the street and stopped to ask for help. Keith expected Officer Collins to point him in the right direction. Instead, Officer Collins did something much more meaningful.

He personally guided Keith to the correct location, showed him where to park, and then walked him into the hospital to make sure he reached the right place. Along the way, he coordinated with staff so Keith could quickly return to be with his mother.

Officer Collins could have simply given directions. Instead, he chose to invest his time and attention in a stranger who needed help during one of the most difficult moments of his life.

Keith later shared that, as a retired law enforcement officer himself, he immediately recognized that Officer Collins had gone above and beyond what was required.

His mother was eventually transferred to the NSICU, where another group of UMMC employees continued to demonstrate the same commitment to our values.

Keith spoke about the kindness of Olivia Hawkins, the nurse who encouraged him to stay overnight with his mother and checked on both of them throughout the night. He spoke about Logan Berry, who continued that care the next morning. He shared his appreciation for Dr. Joe Doherty, who took time to answer questions and explain what was happening to his family, and for neurosurgery resident Dr. Ryan Morgan, who helped guide them through the difficult process that followed his mother’s passing.

At the time, few people around him knew that just three days earlier, Keith had attended his younger brother’s funeral and was already carrying the weight of a tremendous personal loss. He said the warmth he felt from our employees was constant throughout his family’s time at the Medical Center.

When I heard this story, I was struck by how many of our institutional values were reflected in these interactions.

Respect is recognizing that every person deserves consideration and kindness.

Compassion is understanding that behind every patient and family member is a human story that we may not fully know.

Professionalism is building trust through our actions, our character and our appearance.

Excellence is choosing to do more than what is expected because we know those extra moments can make a difference.

And integrity is serving others because it is the right thing to do, even when no one is watching.

Most of our employees will never receive public recognition for the countless ways they support our patients, families, students and colleagues. Yet these moments happen every day across our hospitals and clinics. They are often small in scale, but they are enormous in impact.

You may never know the full effect of your kindness, but to the people we serve, it can make all the difference. Every interaction, every act of service and every moment of compassion help move us closer to our vision of A Healthier Mississippi.