Memorial Medical Center Names Andrew Cummins As 2026 Mercy Award Winner

Las Cruces, New Mexico — May 22, 2026 — Memorial Medical Center is proud to announce that Andrew Cummins, Director of Marketing & Communications, has been recognized as the hospital’s 2026 Mercy Award winner. The Mercy Award recognizes one employee from each of Lifepoint Health’s facilities who profoundly touches the lives of others and best represents the spirit and values on which the company was founded. The award is considered the highest honor a Lifepoint employee can receive.

From joining the Memorial team in 2020 with no healthcare experience to now being the Marketing Director at both Memorial and Los Alamos Medical Center, Andrew leads a Marketing and Communications pair that is routinely recognized as one of the top teams across all of Lifepoint Health. From video shoots and social media campaigns to media relations and community events – and countless other duties to support the hospital’s day-to-day operations – Andrew has his fingerprints all over documenting and contributing to Memorial’s impacts both inside and outside the walls of the hospital.

“With his ingenuity, kindness, work ethic, collaborative spirit, and welcome sense of humor, Andrew undoubtedly exemplifies this year’s Mercy Award theme of ‘Inspired by Mission, Driven by Heart,’” said Dennis Knox, chief executive officer of Memorial Medical Center. “He genuinely looks forward to uplifting and showcasing how we’re making a tremendous impact in our community each and every day. Andrew’s behind-the-scenes magic as a hospital leader is now center stage for all to see.”

Andrew will tell you it’s easy to do his job when there are so many amazingly talented and caring people at MMC – from bedside staff to those working in the background just like him. While it’s exciting to talk about the latest and greatest medical advancements, some of his favorite types of content to produce are employee spotlights and patient testimonials.

Andrew is very grateful and proud of the partnership he shares with all of his Marketing suite officemates, in addition to directors from all across the bustling hospital campus – especially those who serve with him on MMC’s Team Member Satisfaction Committee. He truly believes that this award reflects the successes of the entire hospital team and illustrates that being visible in the community is just as important as what’s offered inside the walls of Memorial Medical Center.

“Everything that Andrew does is with a smile and a laugh,” one co-worker wrote in their award recommendation letter. “He inspires his co-workers to do more and to do so happily. Andrews’ personality and work ethic is infectious. Andrew truly does make us all want to do more and be better.”

Outside of his formal job duties, Andrew participates in a number of organizations that are both professionally and personally fulfilling to him:

• He proudly served as a Guardian for two Vietnam veterans on Mission 20 of the Rio Grande Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. last fall. His memory of helping a veteran find a fallen soldier – a friend who died in his arms on the battlefield – on the Vietnam Wall is a memory that will stay with him forever. He is an integral part of Memorial’s longstanding history with this important initiative, including helping coordinate Mission 21’s bigger-than-ever homecoming celebration hosted just last month.

“Andrew’s support of veterans reflects a deep personal commitment to service that extends well beyond his professional responsibilities. He consistently represents Memorial Medical Center with integrity, professionalism, and heart,” Rio Grande Honor Flight leadership wrote in Andrew’s award recommendation letter. “In every interaction we have had with him, he has treated others with dignity and respect while inspiring confidence and trust among those around him.”

• Andrew is a member of the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Committee, where he advises on healthcare topics and helps organize events in our community. He also received the SOAR Award for community involvement and contributions to the Chamber in April 2025.

“Working with Andrew over the past several years, I have personally witnessed him exemplifying the criterion of the Mercy Award. As a volunteer with the Chamber, he always is willing to go the extra mile to accomplish the goals and objectives set forth,” wrote Debbi Moore, Chamber President & CEO. “I also served on MMC’s Board of Trustees for several years and I was privileged to see how his team members respected him. Through his quiet, but impactful leadership, he made a difference in every person he came in contact with every day.”

• Andrew also graduated from the Chamber’s Leadership Las Cruces in the 30th Class, further showing his commitment to better understanding our community and region.

• Additionally, Andrew stepped into MMC’s vacancy on the Las Cruces Public Schools Foundation Board last summer, representing the hospital well and connecting local healthcare with K-12 education. The foundation supports and enhances the educational experiences of students, promotes innovation in the classroom, increases community involvement in education, and pursues and recognizes excellence in teaching and learning.

There are numerous other community causes and nonprofit organizations that MMC has supported or partnered with over the last few years thanks to Andrew’s relationship-building skills and many hours spent at local and regional events.

At home, Andrew is the proud father of three children (ages 8, 5 and almost 1) and an amazingly supportive wife, Tori, whom he believes has to be superhuman.

Each facility winner, including Andrew, will be considered for Lifepoint’s 2026 companywide Mercy Award. The companywide winner will be announced and honored during a ceremony in Nashville, Tenn., in September.