Presenting Jesus Espindola (center) with NMMC’s DAISY Award are (from left) Megan Bunch, director of nursing, and Donna Pritchard, chief nursing executive.

TUPELO, Miss.—North Mississippi Medical Center has awarded its most recent DAISY Award to registered nurse Jesus Espindola of 5 West.

Espindola, who joined the NMMC staff amidst the pandemic, was nominated by a coworker for his extraordinary care of patients on the COVID-19 unit. One in particular was a young COVID-19 patient who was on a ventilator. Once she recovered, she was transferred to NMMC’s Rehabilitation Institute. “All the patient (and her mother especially) could do was rave about Jesus and how well he took care of her,” wrote the coworker. “The mom said many times when things weren’t looking good for her daughter, she would call and Jesus would be right outside of the patient’s window watching for any little change. Jesus also came on his days off to visit the patient and check on her.”

Espindola graduated from Ripley High School in 2013 and worked as a pharmacy technician at the Ripley Walmart. He earned an associate degree in nursing in May 2020 from Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville and joined the NMMC staff that June.

Espindola received a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, a bouquet donated by Bishop’s Flower Shop and a hand-carved stone sculpture titled A Healer’s Touch.

The DAISY Award is an international program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary compassionate and skillful care given by nurses every day. For more information, call (662) 377-3431 or email daisyawards@nmhs.net.