Starr Regional Medical Center Names 2026 Mercy Award Winner
June 03, 2026
Nancy Crabtree recognized for demonstrating compassion and providing outstanding service to patients, hospital and local community.
Starr Regional Medical Center recently announced that Nancy Crabtree has been recognized as the facility’s 2026 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of Lifepoint Health’s facilities who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded.
Established in 2001, the Mercy Award is an annual recognition program that honors 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 Starr Regional Medical Center, our caring and compassionate team members are at the heart of advancing our mission of making communities healthier – and Nancy is a shining example of this day in and day out,” said John McLain, CEO of Starr Regional Medical Center. “We are so proud to recognize her many contributions to caring for patients, supporting our hospital, and serving our community. I’m grateful for Nancy’s positive influence and the example she sets for all of us.”
Nominators shared that Nancy, who serves as the operator and receptionist at Starr Regional Medical Center – Athens, makes others feel truly seen, valued, and important, with a gift for hospitality that has positively shaped the culture at Starr Regional. They noted her ability to inspire kindness and authenticity in others, as she consistently invests her time in mentoring, encouraging, and supporting those around her. Her faith and dedication are evident in her joyful, humble service to both her church and the community.
Each facility winner, including Starr Regional Medical Center, will be considered for Lifepoint’s 2026 companywide Mercy Award. The companywide winner will be announced this summer and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., in September.
Pictured (front row, left to right) are Nancy Crabtree, 2026 Mercy Award winner, Deborah Vaughn, Chief Nursing Officer, (back row, left to right) David Alley, Chief Financial Officer, and John McLain, Chief Executive Officer.