CHEER Champion of the Week: Lacey Griffith!

​Our CHEER CHAMPion of the Week is Lacey Griffith, RN, and Director of Women’s Services at Merit Health River Region. She was nominated for her pivotal role in the CHAMPS hospital’s progress towards designation.
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“The best part of the job is that special “Ah-ah” moment when all the education makes sense to the moms, when it finally all comes together” Lacey stated. “It’s the greatest reward one could have”. 

Though her role can be challenging, Lacey finds it very rewarding because she gets to make policy changes within the hospital that nurses can benefit from.

Having worked at Merit River Region since 2005, Lacey witnessed the initiation of Baby Friendly at the hospital.  She first served as a Unit Clerk and then as a bedside nurse in the Labor and Delivery department for 10 years, an experience she describes as the “greatest passion” of her life. When she moved into her leadership role 4 years ago, she prioritized changing the perceptions of staff about Baby Friendly through education. She focused on helping the staff to understand what being BF designated would mean for practice and for the patients. She describes this as “one of the hardest yet most rewarding hurdles” she had to overcome in her role.

Lacey is motivated by her amazing patients and dedicated organization who make her job worth it.  Seeing processes and changes that she helped develop translated into progressive reality makes her beam with pride for her team. She is inspired by the fact that she gets to advocate for both her patients and bedside staff through leadership.

In addition to her role at MHRR, Lacey has been an active member of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and Mississippi Nurses Association (MNA). When she’s not focusing on changing the culture in her community, she is enjoying time spent with her husband and daughter. She is also actively involved with the hospital’s community outreach efforts and works collaboratively with other organizations like United Way and WIC to support parents and families.

Congratulations Lacey! We appreciate you and wish you the best with everything.