Inaugural Daisy Nurse Leader Award Honoree – Melinda Keely, RN, Professional Development
“I would like to nominate Melinda Keely, our clinical coordinator, for the Daisy Leadership Award because she represents what true nursing leadership looks like every single day.
She leads with strength, compassion, and purpose, even while facing one of the hardest battles of her life, Living with a cancer diagnosis. Despite ongoing treatments, appointments, and the physical and emotional toll that comes with her diagnosis, she continues to show up every day with determination and, grace, and an unwavering commitment to both her team and our patients.
What makes her leadership even more powerful is it she sees healthcare from both sides dash both as a nurse leader and as a patient. Through her own experiences receiving care within our hospital, she has gained an even better understanding of what patients truly need, and when those experiences have fallen short; she’s not stayed silent. Instead, taking her experiences and using her voice, she advocates fiercely for change, pushing for better care, and a better patient experience for others.
She fights not only for herself, but for every patient deserves to feel heard, respected, and cared for.
As our Clinical Coordinator, she is also a relentless advocate for nursing education to have success. She works tirelessly to strengthen our orientation program, ensuring that every new nurse who joins our organization receives the highest quality education and support possible. She values orientations as the foundation for confidence, complaints, and retention. And she fights for that standard every day. She wants her nurses to succeed, stay, and thrive.
She consistently supports our educator team, stands behind us and pushes us to be better. Melinda leads with integrity, courage, and heart. Even on the hardest days, she gives 100% of herself to this organization, to her nurses, and to the patients of Memorial. The definition of resilience – she is the definition of this servant heart leadership. She is the kind of leader who changes people – not just processes.
She deserves this recognition because she does not simply leave followed by title – she leads to action, advocacy, and the example she sets every single day.”
Congratulations, Melinda, and thank you for providing exceptional leadership at Memorial!
In addition, several other nursing leaders were nominated for this inaugural award at Memorial:
- Heather Lambert, RN ~ 4th Director, Med/Surge ~ Biloxi
- Ashley Armstrong, RN ~ 3A and 4AB Unit Manager ~ Gulfport
- Austin Hartfield, RN ~ ER – Gulfport
- Greg Breland, RN ~ Coordinator, Inpatient Unit ~ Stone County
- Anne Musgrove, NP ~ Vice President, Ambulatory Services
- Melissa Walker, RN ~ ER ~ Gulfport
- Virginia McKeown, RN ~ Manager, 7ABCD
- Jody Smith, RN ~ Coordinator, Cardiac Obs ~ Gulfport
Learn more about the Daisy Award at Memorial – click the button below!