Local Nurse Honored for Responding to Family Facing Homelessness

Jamestown Regional Medical Center honored emergency department registered nurse Paige Wilen with the JRMC Legend Award, the medical center s highest employee recognition, on November 29, 2025. The award followed Wilen s intervention on behalf of a family who arrived at the hospital while experiencing homelessness. She paid for a hotel room so the family would not be left without shelter and then coordinated with local agencies over the following days to secure longer term resources.

Wilen was nominated for the award by emergency medicine physician Dr. Steve Inglish. The recognition was presented as an example of the hospital s commitment to compassionate, community centered care, and is reserved for employees whose compassion, courage and commitment leave a lasting mark.

The incident underscores the reality that emergency departments often see people whose needs extend beyond medical treatment. When social services and housing supports are limited, hospital staff may become the first line of response to urgent nonmedical needs. For local residents, the story illustrates both the generosity of individual caregivers and the gaps that families can face when basic needs like stable housing are not met.

For hospital leadership, honoring Wilen reinforces a practice of recognizing staff who take initiative to protect patient welfare in immediate and practical ways. For the wider community, the award can serve as a reminder that health outcomes are tied to social conditions, and that partnerships between health care providers and local agencies play a critical role in helping vulnerable neighbors.

Jamestown Regional Medical Center s decision to highlight this case signals a broader conversation about how Stutsman County addresses housing instability and coordinates care across agencies. The recognition may encourage other staff and organizations to strengthen referral pathways and follow up supports for patients leaving the emergency department without secure housing. In the short term, Wilen s actions provided safety for a family in crisis. In the longer term, the hospital s acknowledgement points to the importance of community collaboration in keeping families safe and healthy.