Most organizations today have developed mission and vision statements that declare who they are and what they have been called to accomplish. Those statements are intended to remind employees of the "why" they do what they do. As I heard one person say, "When you know the why, your how will be transformed." The true success of mission and vision statements take place when those statements make it off the page and into the hearts of the people who represent them.
My wife was recently a patient at Prisma Health Tuomey, and we personally experienced a purpose statement/mission statement that made its way from the printed page into the heart of a nurse named Eric Ball. It was obvious to us that nursing for Eric is a calling. From the moment he arrived on shift to the last minute of the shift, he demonstrated a love for his job and his patients. So, it wasn't a single act that deserves recognition, but an overall way of caring.
Eric served with a smile on his face that brought comfort to me and my wife. During our stay, pain management was the most significant struggle. Eric worked with the team of doctors to ensure that my wife's pain was well managed. His attention to that detail allowed my wife to get some needed rest. Eric was informative and took time to answer our list of many questions. For us, healing was not just in medicines, it was found in the hearts of people who cared for my wife. For us, Eric made the difference!