BENTON, Ark. (June 27, 2023) – Saline Memorial Hospital recently announced that Jeannie Otts, cath lab director, has been recognized as the hospital’s 2023 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of Lifepoint Health’s hospitals who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded: compassion, dedication and a merciful spirit.  

An alumna of Harmony Grove High School, Otts graduated from Baptist Medical Center School of Radiography in 1991, registered in cardiovascular interventional radiology. She has been with Saline Health System for about 10 years. As cath lab director, she oversees the operation of the heart station and cath lab.

She also serves as the chest pain coordinator, responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the program for cardiac patients, as well as for achieving and maintaining chest pain center accreditation.

“Jeannie is the person you can always count on,” said Charles Bienvenu, a registered nurse in the cath lab. “Even if her plate is full, she will never miss the opportunity to help others.”

Otts regularly volunteers to do community outreach, like manning the first aid tent during Amplify, a two-day outdoor concert, and seeks out opportunities to provide AED and hands-only CPR training throughout Saline County.

“Community outreach is not just about checking off steps for accreditation for Jeannie; it’s about caring for this community,” CEO Michael Stewart said. “She represents our organization’s best ideals and strives to make our communities healthier.”

Each hospital winner, including Otts, will be considered for Lifepoint’s companywide Mercy Award. The companywide winner will be announced this summer and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., in August.

Saline Health System, a part of Lifepoint Health, is made up of Saline Memorial Hospital, a 177-bed acute care facility, and Saline Clinics, a network of both primary care and specialty care clinics. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQUIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center. For more information about Saline Memorial Hospital, please call 501.776.6000 or visit SalineMemorial.org. For more information about Lifepoint Health, visit LifepointHealth.net .