LAPLACE – River Parishes Hospital’s Leadership Team gathered and surprised Betty Livingston, a Q.A./Lab Tech, with a balloon bouquet and a check for $500 for being named River Parishes Hospital’s 2011 Mercy Award winner.

Named in honor of LifePoint Hospital’s founding Chairman and CEO Scott L. Mercy, the award was created in 2002 to recognize one employee who exemplifies the humanitarian spirit upon which LifePoint Hospitals was founded. This award commends individuals who embrace LifePoint’s High Five guiding principles and consistently go beyond the call of duty in serving patients and the community, demonstrate a level of commitment and caring that transcends the everyday, are respected in everything they do and inspire others with compassion, dedication and a merciful spirit.

Receiving this award puts Livingston in the running for LifePoint Hospital’s 2011 company-wide Mercy Award, which is the highest honor an employee can receive from the corporation. If selected as LifePoint’s Mercy Award Winner, she will be honored at LifePoint’s Senior Leadership Conference.

“I am honored to have been nominated and selected for this prestigious award,” said Livingston.

Livingston began her employment at River Parishes Hospital in December 2008. She is responsible for maintaining the quality assurance records for the lab and recently took it upon herself to take the Cardiopulmonary Department under her wing by ensuring the quality of information being produced by their blood gas lab is accurate and reliable. She also volunteers to represent the hospital at numerous community events in the River Parishes area.

“Ms. Betty’s impact on our lab since she started here three years ago has been tremendous,” said Dr. Barry Breaux, medical director of the RPH laboratory. “She has taken the lead in organizing the lab’s records and quality assessment tools into a system that has allowed the lab to improve year after year. Her persistence in keeping everyone actively involved in quality assessment has been key to those improvements.”

Livingston is as dedicated to her family and extended family as she is to the hospital. She has offered to help many people in her lifetime. Years ago, she and her husband opened their home to a teenager in need. They saw her through high school and college and later welcomed her back into their home. She also assisted a mentally challenged woman in her neighborhood who was unable to drive to get to the grocery store and run other errands. She has often come to the aid of her coworkers in their time of need. Even during one of the most trying times in her own life, the loss of her husband of 39 years, Betty remains strong and continues to serve her church, the hospital and the many other friends who call her “family.”

“Betty is an example of selflessness and is an inspiration to those who need an example of how to overcome grief and continue to live the precious life we are blessed to have,” said Ashley Price, laboratory director. “Whenever any of our staff members feel overwhelmed and are having problems that seem too big to handle, we think of ‘Ms. Betty’ and the light she conveys daily — even when all seems to be falling down.”