Nurse earns hospital’s Mercy Award

SOMERSET, Ky. (WTVQ) – Courtney Clarke, a nurse in the telemetry care unit, has been named the winner of Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital’s 2020 Mercy Award.

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 hospital said in a release.

The annual recognition was established in 2002 to honor 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 Lake Cumberland, 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 Robert Parker, CEO of Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital. “We are extremely proud to recognize Courtney for her efforts on behalf of our patients and our community. She goes above and beyond each and every day to ensure that every person she encounters receives the highest level of care and compassion.”

Clarke embodies the mission, vision and values of Lake Cumberland, Parker said.

“She is unwavering in her service to patients, involves herself willingly in many inter-service department projects, and leads her team as a terrific coach and cheerleader.  Recently, after encountering a patient family in need, Courtney pulled together childcare, resources, transportation, and a network of support to help,” he added, noting Gov. Andy Beshear sent her a letter of thanks for her work.

During another encounter, after discovering a former staff member was in a desperate situation, Courtney again rallied other members of her team to provide home furnishings, groceries, bedding and a TV for the family, renting a U-Haul herself to pick up and deliver the items personally, the hospital said in the release.

“Courtney combines positivity, kindness, determination to selflessly accomplish goals and rally those around her in support of the greater good,” Parker said.

Clarke is a native of McCreary County, she lives in Somerset with her husband Corey, who is the senior director of cardiovascular services at LCRH, their two daughters, 4-year-old Chanley and 6-year-old Carstyn, and their doodle, Henry.

Each hospital winner, including Clarke, will be considered for LifePoint’s 2020 company-wide Mercy Award. The company-wide winner will be announced this summer and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., in October, to which Clarke and all hospital winners are invited to attend.