Jamie Booze named Swain Community Hospital’s 2026 Mercy Award winner for patient-centered leadership

Swain Community Hospital is proud to announce that Jamie Booze, BSN, RN has been named its 2026 Mercy Award winner, recognizing her compassionate leadership, strong clinical judgment, and deep commitment to patients, families, staff and the Swain County community. 

Booze serves as a nurse leader at Swain Community Hospital, where her impact is felt across her unit and throughout the hospital. Her nominations describe someone who leads with intelligence, steadiness, and heart while helping create an environment where staff feel supported and patients feel genuinely cared for. 

The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each Lifepoint Health facility who profoundly touches the lives of others and best reflects the spirit and values on which the company was founded. At the local level, the award serves as the hospital’s highest annual employee recognition, honoring one team member whose work, character and service stand out among their peers. Established in 2001, the award honors the life and contributions of Scott Mercy, Lifepoint’s founding chairman and chief executive officer, and is considered the highest honor a Lifepoint employee can receive. 

“At Swain Community Hospital, one person’s compassion and leadership can be felt across the entire facility,” said Ashley Hindman, chief executive officer of Harris Regional and Swain Community Hospitals. “She brings people together, strengthens the team around her, and keeps the patient at the center of every decision. We are incredibly proud to recognize her with this honor.” 

Booze is known as an important connector between nursing staff, physicians, and advanced practice providers, helping keep communication clear and patient care moving forward. Her nominations describe a leader whose staff know they are seen, heard, and supported, and whose presence helps others do their best work. 

Her clinical instincts are also central to her impact. Colleagues describe Booze as someone who notices when something is not quite right and asks the needed questions until concerns are resolved. She is known for advocating for patients not only at the bedside, but also through process improvements that support better care. 

One example of that advocacy was her work to adjust early-morning lab timing for rehabilitation patients. Booze recognized that rest is an important part of recovery and helped move lab draws from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m., allowing patients to sleep longer and engage more fully in therapy. 

“Jamie represents the very best of the nursing profession — clinically exceptional, deeply compassionate, and steadfast in her commitment to our community leading with a true servant’s heart,” said Rebekah Artman, MBA, BSN, RN, CCRN, CPPS, chief nursing officer. 

Booze’s compassion is also evident in the small, personal ways she cares for others. Her nominations describe someone who takes time to sit with patients, listen to their concerns, and find ways to bring comfort during difficult days. She gives her time freely to her team and patients, often stepping in when she is needed, even on days she was scheduled to be off. 

That same generosity extends into the community. This past holiday season, while balancing the demands of work and family, Booze adopted several families from a local gift tree and made sure they had presents to open on Christmas morning. Those who know her say that kind of quiet generosity is not unusual, but simply part of who she is. 

Those who work alongside Booze say her impact is not defined by one single act, but by the consistency of the way she demonstrates servant leadership. She reflects the heart of the Mercy Award through her commitment to patients, her support for staff, and her willingness to step forward wherever she is needed. 

As Swain Community Hospital’s facility winner, Booze will be considered for Lifepoint Health’s 2026 companywide Mercy Award. The companywide winner will be announced this summer and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., in September.