PONTOTOC, Mississippi—North Mississippi Medical Center-Pontotoc recently named patient access specialist Van E. Ross as the Star of the Year.

Ross joined the NMMC-Pontotoc Business Services in 2019 and works in the Emergency Services Department. Her colleagues applauded Ross for her acts of compassion and care that extend beyond expectations.

Her teammates say she looks for ways to help patients, their family members and her coworkers. Ross has shared her lunch with a homeless visitor and helped an NMHS teammate track down training classes.

One evening, Ross returned to the Emergency Services Department after leaving work out of concern for an elderly gentleman who was looking for a family member. She helped guide him to the unaffiliated nursing home where his family member is a resident and made sure he connected with the nursing home staff.

 “Thank you, Van, for going above and way beyond what is expected of you,” a colleague wrote. “You truly are an asset to our hospital and community.”

She is a graduate of Pontotoc High School. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Mississippi State University in Starkville.

“I love to help people,” Ross said. “I try to make their day better.”

Ross, who lives in Pontotoc, is the daughter of Conwell and Bobbie Duke and has one son, Sherman. She attends McDonald United Methodist Church.

The Star of the Quarter for NMMC-Pontotoc is selected through a vote by their peers and a review of overall work performance. The recognition reflects the excellence in quality of services demonstrated by the NMMC-Pontotoc team. The Star of the Year is chosen from those named Star of the Quarter.

In 2022, NMMC-Pontotoc also recognized Amber Tunnell of Nursing Services, Derek Bowen of Facility Operations and Brenda Johnson of Food and Nutrition Services as Stars of the Quarter.