Brent Johnson named 2025 Mercy Award winner

ELKO, Nevada – Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital (NNRH) recently announced that Brent Johnson has been recognized as the facility’s 2025 Mercy Award winner. Johnson has worked in the hospital’s plant operations department for the past four years and has been active in volunteer projects around the community for the past four decades.

“Brent is an artist and an innovator. You can see murals he’s painted and community projects he’s completed all around town,” said Steve Simpson, chief executive officer at NNRH. “He brings this same passion to his work at the hospital. There’s really not a single department here which hasn’t benefited from his excellent craftmanship and attention to detail.”

Simpson described how Johnson has refurbished both the hospital lobby and cafeteria in recent years, making them more welcoming and accessible to patients and visitors. Johnson also redecorated NNRH’s “hospice room” where patients sometimes receive end-of-life care.

“We have a room where patients who are terminally ill can be comfortable and spend time with their families,” Simpson explained. “Brent took one look at this room and decided it could be much better. He took it upon himself to transform this ordinary hospital room into a calm, comforting and peaceful space. He collaborated with another artist to create a mural of a beautiful mountain scene on the wall. And he tracked down more comfortable furniture for visitors and family members. His concern for our most vulnerable patients inspired all this. That’s just the kind of guy he is,” Simpson observed.

Johnson’s compassion and volunteerism extend beyond the walls of the hospital to the community at large, as Simpson noted. Johnson has volunteered with several organizations including Boy Scouts, Young Life, Lion’s Club, 4-H, PACE Coalition and Camp Do-So-La-Lee.

“You just can’t keep a guy like Brent from getting involved and improving the community around him. That’s what he loves to do,” Simpson concluded.

Elko Mayor Reece Keener agreed with that sentiment. Asked to write a letter of recommendation for Johnson as part of the award nomination process, Keener penned the following praise.

“I’ve known Brent for about 10 years, and I’ve always found him to be remarkably motivated and resourceful with a true desire to serve... Brent is the definition of a good neighbor: extremely courteous and conscientious… He has a real heart for helping kids and has been a fantastic role model to many… It’s hard to think of someone who is more deserving of recognition than Brent Johnson for a job well done.” – Mayor Reece Keener

Clearly the award committee concurred, as Johnson has not only been recognized as the local winner of the Mercy Award but also named as a semifinalist for the companywide award with Lifepoint Health.

Established in 2001, the Mercy Award is an annual recognition program that honors the life and contributions of Scott Mercy, the founding chairman of Lifepoint Health, NNRH’s parent company. The award recognizes one employee from each of Lifepoint’s facilities across the country who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded. It is considered the highest honor a Lifepoint employee can receive.

As a Mercy Award semifinalist, Johnson will be considered for Lifepoint’s 2025 companywide award. He and a guest have been invited to travel to Nashville, TN, later this summer for a gala celebration during which the companywide winner will be announced.