MORA Hosts 2018 Spero Awards on July 31

August 1, 2018

MORA hosted the 5th Annual Spero Awards on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, at the Hilton Jackson. The awards ceremony recognized hospital partners, medical professionals, corporate partners and donor ambassadors who work in conjunction with MORA to promote organ, eye and tissue donation to ultimately save and heal lives. The speaker for the awards ceremony was donor mom Adrian Murry of Hattiesburg. Adrian’s son Kendrick was an organ and tissue donor in 2015.

The word Spero is Latin for “hope.” The title was chosen to reflect the hope that organ and tissue donation brings to those in need of a lifesaving organ or a life healing tissue transplant.

2018 Spero Award recipients:

  • Most Supportive Ancillary or Healthcare Staff – Jesus Monico, PhD, University of Mississippi Medical Center
  • Nurse Champion of the Year- Pam Burleson, St. Dominic Hospital
  • Advanced Practice Nurse or Nurse Manager of the Year- Misty Tucker, North Mississippi Medical Center
  • Physician Champion of the Year- Dr. Gilbert Mbeo, University of Mississippi Medical Center
  • Hospital Leadership of the Year Award- Michelle Crawford, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Grenada
  • Hospital Most Supportive of Tissue Donation- Forrest General Hospital, Hattiesburg
  • Most Supportive Organ & Tissue Hospital- University of Mississippi Medical Center, Grenada
  • Most Supportive Mortuary Services- Damien Murriel, Jackson Memorial Funeral Service
  • Most Supportive Coroner- David Ruth, Rankin County Coroner
  • Community Faith Leader or Chaplain of the Year- Chaplain Doris Whitaker, University of Mississippi Medical Center
  • Volunteer of the Year- Larry and Ellen Duvernay, Gulfport
  • Donation Advocate of the Year- Bill and Leslie Carruth, Meridian
  • Corporate Partner of the Year- Hinds County Board of Supervisors, Jackson
  • Most Supportive Surgical Staff – St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson
  • Most Supportive Critical Care Staff- Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
  • Storyteller Award – Patrice Clark, WLBT-TV
  • Red Heart Award-Jackson County DPS Examiner’s Station
  • Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s Office was also presented with the Gift of Life Award for the dedication and commitment that the staff shows in helping to preserve opportunities for donation. Mississippi Lions Eye Bank (MLEB) presented the Gift of Sight Award to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson and the Partners in Vision Award to Garden Park Medical Center in Gulfport, for their work in helping to facilitate sight saving corneal transplants. Hospital Excellence Awards were awarded to eight hospitals who have achieved national organ donation performance standards set by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Hospitals receiving those awards were:
  • Forrest General Hospital
  • Garden Park Medical Center
  • Merit Health Rankin
  • North Mississippi Medical Center
  • Ocean Springs Hospital
  • Rush Foundation Hospital
  • Singing River Hospital
  • University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson

Also recognized during the ceremony were 28 hospitals from across the state that have enrolled in the Mississippi Hospitals for Hope campaign, which was developed to raise awareness for the need of organ, eye and tissue donation and increase registrations. The Hospitals recognized for their participation in the state Hospitals for Hope campaign were:

  • Anderson Regional Medical Center
  • Anderson Regional Medical Center-South
  • Delta Regional Medical Center
  • Field Health System
  • Forrest General Hospital
  • Garden Park Medical Center
  • Highland Community Hospital
  • John C. Stennis Memorial Hospital
  • King’s Daughters Medical Center
  • Laird Hospital
  • Magee General Hospital
  • Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
  • Merit Health Central
  • Merit Health River Region
  • Mississippi Baptist Medical Center
  • North Mississippi Medical Center
  • North Mississippi Medical Center-Iuka
  • North Mississippi Medical Center-Pontotoc
  • North Sunflower Medical Center
  • Ocean Springs Hospital
  • OCH Regional Medical Center
  • Rush Foundation Hospital
  • St. Dominic Hospital
  • Scott Regional Hospital
  • Simpson General Hospital
  • Singing River Hospital
  • University of Mississippi Medical Center
  • University of Mississippi Medical Center, Grenada