Mission Award Recipient for Respect: Antonio Mejia

For Antonio Mejia, taking great care of patients starts with fellow caregivers taking care of each other.

Antonio is a nurse in the neurotrauma intensive care unit (ICU) at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. He works in a high-pressure environment where the stakes are often life or death.

ICU staff extend grace to one another

In that setting, effective teamwork is essential. Antonio and the ICU staff have learned to extend one another grace as they rely on each other to get through shared challenges.

Antonio's path to nursing started with his first Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) job in 2008. A charge nurse noticed something special in him and told him, with total certainty, that he was going to become a nurse. That simple vote of confidence struck a nerve and carried him through college toward the nursing profession.

Efforts to strengthen the team bonds

Today, Antonio pays that support forward by helping build a stronger, more connected team. He champions efforts like a co-worker's "Cans for Positive Change" recycling program. He also organizes an annual family camping trip where co-workers and their families come together outside the hospital. For Antonio, these moments are important because they strengthen the bonds among the ICU team.

"Getting to know your co-workers and the people you are with every day does build up that trust," Antonio says.

Building relationships translates into better care

Antonio understands that the relationships built outside the ICU translate into better care inside it. Knowing that your co-workers have your back, and you have theirs, is crucial.

"Antonio recognizes we have to take care of our caregivers," says Abigail Egbert, inpatient RN and president of the nursing staff at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend. "The little things he does. It all contributes to this environment of teamwork where we can all value each other for our individuality and be able to take great care of our patients."

Thanks to his commitment to building a culture of respect and teamwork among his colleagues, Antonio is the recipient of PeaceHealth's 2026 Systemwide Mission and Values Award for Respect.

The Mission and Values Awards are PeaceHealth's highest honor. They recognize caregivers for living PeaceHealth's Mission and Values of Social Justice, Stewardship, Respect and Collaboration.

Learn more about all of PeaceHealth's 2026 systemwide Mission and Values Awards honorees:

• Overall and Collaboration: Dustin Daniel, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center
• Social Justice: Michelle Kennedy, RN, PeaceHealth Cottage Grove Community Medical Center
• Stewardship: Amanda Jamision, Amanda Christianson, Mehnaaz Khan and Kimberly Minkel, PeaceHealth United General Medical Center