Clinch Valley Health names 2026 Mercy Award Winner
May 28, 2026
Clinch Valley Health names Deborah "Debbie" Roberts, Aide - Surgical Services, 2026 Mercy Award Winner. Recognized for demonstrating compassion and providing outstanding service to patients, hospital and local community.
Clinch Valley Health recently announced that Debbie Roberts 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 Clinch Valley Health, our caring and compassionate team members are at the heart of advancing our mission of making communities healthier – and Debbie is a shining example of this day in and day out,” said Dr. Peter Mulkey, President and CEO of Clinch Valley Health. “We are so proud to recognize her many contributions to caring for patients, supporting our hospital, and serving our community. I’m grateful for Debbie’s positive influence and the example she sets for all of us.”
About Debbie Roberts:
Debbie’s service reaches far beyond our hospital walls. She has spent decades supporting community outreach through her church, participating in “Operation Christmas Child, the annual live nativity food pantry drives, feeding local high-school athletes, and too many other ways to list.”
Her compassion extends to moments that many would overlook. During a winter snowfall, when patients struggled to reach the entrance, Debbie “went to maintenance, got a shovel, and went out and shoveled the snow around the sidewalk/entrance.” This simple act captures who she is – someone who sees a need and meets it without hesitation.
She also brings comfort and joy to families by “handing out toys to kids, prayer cloths, and anything else needed to make them feel like someone cares about them.” Her presence strengthens the emotional and spiritual well-being of our community, making her a true ambassador of Lifepoint Health’s mission.
Debbie's approach to patient care is rooted in empathy, respect, and lived experience. After facing her own health challenges, she returned to work with a renewed purpose. Her colleague wrote, "She was back to work and using her experiences to uplift other patient facing the same battle. Her presence enhances the patient experience in ways that cannot be measured by metrics alone. She provides comfort, reassurance, and a sense of peace that profoundly impacts healing.
Each facility winner, including Debbie, 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, Tennessee, in September.
About Clinch Valley Heath:
A part of Lifepoint Health, Clinch Valley Medical Center is a 175-bed acute care hospital with a growing integrated network of care that offers many services for our community all close to home located here in Richlands, VA. Today, our unwavering commitment to our patients ranks us as one of the top hospitals in Virginia and the nation for quality of care – including patient safety and health outcomes.