Anita Barber, NA
Anita Barber, a Nurse Assistant on Med Tele at Southeast Health Center of Stoddard County, received the Sunshine Award at a ceremony held in Dexter. The Sunshine Award celebrates the exceptional care given by these team members every day.
Anita was nominated by a grateful family. The patient was in ICU in a hard battle with COVID-19. His wife had not left his side. Anita noticed that she had not left the bedside and wanted to make sure she got something to eat. Anita suggested that she go to the cafeteria while her husband was sleeping. The wife said she would have to wait because she left her purse in her car. Anita, without thinking twice, gave the patient’s wife her personal meal card and said, “take this to the kitchen and have a meal on me.”
The patient’s wife said that Anita had taken such good care of her husband. This small gesture of making sure she was taken care of as well “was so precious to us.” She went on to say that she was so impressed with Anita’s compassion for her job and patients.