LifeSaver Award Series: Jason Quimby, RN and Jovita Nelson, RN, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center (Lewiston, Idaho)

Each month, LifeCenter Northwest selects a LifeSaver Award winner. This award honors and recognizes those who demonstrate a commitment to improving donation outcomes and culture through their actions, time and energy.

We are pleased to present this month’s LifeSaver Award to Jovita Nelson, RN, and Jason Quimby, RN of St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston, Idaho. Both Jason and Jovita are nurses in the ICU at St. Joe’s, and both were integral to a recent organ donation case.

Following a timely donation referral, the St. Joe’s ICU team immediately went into high gear, maintaining support for the referred individual. Jason was this patient’s primary nurse throughout the night shift—and was particularly critical during this time. He collaborated admirably with LifeCenter Northwest staff to ensure appropriate care for the patient—and meet donor management goals—until our team arrived at St. Joe’s. Even after our team’s arrival, Jason continued to go above and beyond to ensure everything was in order to facilitate donation.

Jovita was the patient’s primary nurse for the day shift, and LifeCenter Northwest’s clinical team specifically commended her for her outstanding dedication, as she made sure that all appropriate measures (of which there were many during this complicated case) were taken in support of organ donation.

All of these donation-supporting actions required significant additional time and effort from Jason, Jovita and the rest of the ICU team during already busy shifts, and LifeCenter Northwest is deeply grateful for their collective willingness to take on and overcome this challenge.

As a direct result of Jason and Jovita’s actions, time and energy, St. Joe’s and LifeCenter Northwest were able to collaboratively honor the donation decision of this individual and their family—saving four lives through the precious gift of organ donation.

Under challenging circumstances, the dedication that Jason and Jovita displayed is what makes the gift of life possible for families and recipients. We are proud to honor Jason and Jovita with this month’s LifeSaver Award for being excellent hospital partners, honoring donation decisions and helping donor families find meaning in the gift of life.