Meet Our 2026 ESPRIT Award Winner: Jackie Davis

For patients and families facing the stresses of end-of-life care, Jackie Davis, a Hospice Operations Manager at VNS Health, knows the value of a supportive voice on the other end of the line. “They’re nervous and scared,” she says, “and they just want somebody to say, ‘It’s okay. What you’re going through is normal, and we’ll get through this.’”

Jackie is devoted to being that support, whether that means making sure a family member has the medical gloves they need to care for a loved one, or simply being there as someone to talk to. One family member was anxious about his mother, who was on hospice, and talked to Jackie about how his mother had supported him in difficult times. “That’s my mom, and I’m her number one,” her son told Jackie. Jackie remained on the phone with him for as long as he needed, offering support and reassurance until he felt better.

Asked to describe her role at VNS Health, Jackie sums up the many things she does simply: “Support whenever and wherever it’s needed,” she says, “whether or not it’s a team I’m covering.” These days, Jackie works with our Hospice teams in Manhattan and the Bronx, and over the years she has pitched in for Staten Island and Queens teams, too. Her support starts first thing in the morning—she begins each day by sending a good morning text to everyone on her team.

Jackie sees each workday as an opportunity. “It’s not, ‘Now I have to go to work,’” she says. “It’s, ‘Now I get to help somebody enjoy their family member one more day.’”