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Brandon Harris '15 earns WVMC’s Mercy Award

As the director of emergency services at Willamette Valley Medical Center (WVMC), Brandon Harris ’15 shows up for his patients, his coworkers and his hometown every shift, every day.

That commitment didn’t go unnoticed. In July, Brandon was named the hospital’s 2025 Mercy Award winner, the highest honor bestowed by Lifepoint Health, WVMC’s parent company. The annual award recognizes one employee from each Lifepoint facility who best exemplifies selfless service and community leadership

“Brandon is a shining example of our mission to make communities healthier,” said Dewane Pace, CEO of Willamette Valley Medical Center. “He leads transformational work in our hospital, supports his team, cares deeply for patients and is active in the community. I’m grateful for Brandon’s positive influence and the example he sets for all of us.”

That sense of community runs deep for the McMinnville native. In addition to being the director of emergency services at WVMC in McMinnville, he also earned his nursing degree from Linfield in 2015 and coaches basketball at McMinnville High School.

“I love the people I work with, and I enjoy helping people in the community I’ve been a part of my whole life,” he said. “WVMC has a special culture, and I look forward to going to work each day.”

Though Brandon never imagined he’d be leading an emergency department, he embraces the role as an opportunity to amplify his impact. “I love bedside nursing and taking care of patients directly, so it wasn’t an easy decision to move into a leadership role,” he said. “But I believe my impact on staff will affect a greater number of patients than I could care for as an individual. I enjoy finding ways to make a greater impact.”

Basketball also remains a steady presence in Brandon’s life. A former Wildcat on the , he now coaches youth basketball in McMinnville. What started with coaching at the middle school level has evolved into serving as head JV coach at McMinnville High School.

“I started playing basketball when I was 8 or 9 years old, and it’s something you can’t easily walk away from,” he said. “Even as a player, being the point guard meant being an extension of the coaching staff. I took Coach Doty’s coaching classes at Linfield and always knew coaching was something I wanted to do. It’s a way to stay close to the game and give back to the program I grew up in.”

Brandon reflects often on his time at Linfield and how it helped shape his leadership approach. Though he spent just two years on the McMinnville campus before transitioning to Linfield’s School of Nursing in Portland, he credits his experience as a student-athlete and his time under head coach Larry Doty with leaving a lasting impression.

“The things I learned from Coach Doty both on the court and off really stuck with me,” he said. “He stressed the importance of building relationships and caring for those around you. That lesson has impacted how I approach my work and life. And just like in basketball, you won't find any success as a single individual, but as an entire team functioning together, great things can happen.”

Brandon is also committed to growth both in his career and in his community. While he doesn’t have a specific next step in mind, pursuing a master’s degree or exploring additional leadership roles remains a possibility.

“My career goals will be to continue making an impact in this McMinnville community, a place where my wife and I love to be,” he said.

In his professional endeavors, Brandon credits Linfield’s nursing program for providing a strong clinical foundation and equipping him with a broad range of skills that continue to serve him well.

“Linfield was a special time for me and gave me so many tools to get me to where I am today,” he said. “The relationships I formed there are still in my life.”

For current Linfield students, Brandon has simple advice: make the most of it.

“Your time at Linfield is something you’ll remember forever,” he said. “The relationships that you form are ones that will last a lifetime, so make time to meet people and form those bonds.”

As WVMC’s Mercy Award winner, Brandon was in the running for Lifepoint’s nationwide Mercy Award. He was flown out to Nashville for the awards ceremony in August but, unfortunately, was not selected as the winner.