Mercy in Action: Making Every Patient Feel Seen

For Monica Safrit, healthcare is about more than tests and procedures—it's about people.

As a Lab Assistant at Canyon Vista Medical Center (CVMC), Safrit spends her days caring for patients throughout the hospital, from the outpatient lab to the behavioral health unit. She also assists with billing and reference testing, helping ensure patients receive timely, accurate care. While laboratory professionals often work behind the scenes, Safrit understands that even brief interactions can leave a lasting impact.

"I've always loved helping people," she said.

That passion for serving others began early in her healthcare career while working at a cancer clinic in her hometown. There, she built relationships with patients facing difficult diagnoses and treatments, encouraging them through some of life's toughest moments. A phlebotomist she worked alongside inspired her to explore laboratory medicine, a decision she has never regretted.

Those everyday acts of kindness recently earned Safrit CVMC's 2026 Mercy Award, the organization's highest employee recognition. Selected from a group of outstanding nominees, Safrit will now represent CVMC as its candidate for Lifepoint Health's company-wide Mercy Award, which honors employees who exemplify compassion, service, and a commitment to others.

For Safrit, mercy is simple.

"Mercy to me is empathy in action," she said.

That philosophy guides every interaction. Whether it's offering a warm blanket, adjusting a patient's bed, honoring a preferred blood draw site, or simply taking time to listen, she believes small gestures can make a meaningful difference.

"I try to remember that I'm meeting people on some of their worst days," she said.

Patients often arrive anxious, uncomfortable, or frustrated. Rather than rushing through an encounter, Safrit strives to help them feel heard and respected.

"When patients are frustrated, I let them vent," she said. "I ask where they prefer to be drawn and pay attention when they tell me about their veins. Most people know their own veins pretty well, and they appreciate being listened to."

Her calm approach has become one of her greatest strengths. She believes many patients feel anxious because they have little control over their situation, so she looks for opportunities to give them choices and make them more comfortable.

Sometimes, that means adding a little humor.

"Some people like a little humor," she said. "I tell them I'm a mosquito! Just here for a little blood."

One interaction that remains especially meaningful involved the mother of a hospital coworker who arrived in the Emergency Department nervous about having blood drawn.

"Both she and her daughter told me she was a hard stick," Safrit recalled. "I was able to draw her quickly and with minimal discomfort, and they were so grateful. It was something I do every day, but seeing how much it meant to them made me feel like I really did something great that day."

Another experience early in her career helped shape her approach to patient care. After noticing that a tourniquet had caused a small skin tear on an elderly patient, Safrit became even more mindful of adapting her techniques to provide gentler, individualized care.

"It reminded me that these are people, and I need to be as gentle as possible," she said.

The same compassion she extends to patients influences how she supports her coworkers. Known for stepping in when help is needed and adjusting her schedule to support the team, Safrit credits her willingness to go above and beyond to a lesson she learned as a child: treat others the way you would want to be treated.

Outside the hospital, her faith and community involvement continue to reinforce the importance of compassion.

"It's not always about fixing problems," she said. "It's about showing people that you care."

That same perspective influences how she views her role in Sierra Vista.

"It's such an honor to serve this community," she said. "I've been warmly welcomed since moving here, and I want to give back as much as I've been given."

When Safrit learned she had been selected as this year's CVMC Mercy Award recipient, she was stunned.

"It was an honor to be chosen among so many people who work so hard for their patients," she said.

Reflecting on the recognition, she shared a favorite quote that captures the heart of her work: "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

For the patients, families, coworkers, and community members whose lives she touches every day, those words are more than a philosophy, they are a reflection of the compassion, humility, and service that earned Monica Safrit CVMC’s highest employee honor.