Salisbury Sunshine Awardee: June 2026 |

TidalHealth Peninsula Regional is pleased to announce that Angel De Jesus, Emergency Department Patient Care Technician (PCT), has been selected as its Sunshine Award recipient for June.

De Jesus was nominated by a coworker for his compassion, empathy, and extraordinary support for a patient's family during an unimaginable moment:

"Imagine you get up in the middle of the night to your loved one in distress, you have young children at home, your happy home becomes a blur of ems workers, flashing lights, and your loved one very very ill, leaving in an ambulance. You get to the hospital, you see lots of equipment around the room, and a lot of staff members in the room of your spouse as you’re taken to the family room. Everyone is speaking, but you cannot understand what is happening due to a language barrier.

A true Angel enters the family room, Angel De Jesus, ED PCT, he walks in and locks eyes, flashes a heartfelt smile, and introduces himself in your language and in the moments of chaos he is the only person in the room who can bring peace in immediately making sense to you of what is happening to your loved one, in the language you understand.

I had the honor of witnessing Angel in action, immediately intervening without hesitation to interpret for a spouse of a patient, to relay a conversation from the Doctor regarding the passing of her husband. Angel not only interpreted this conversation in its entirety, but he also provided emotional support in appropriate gestures such as touching of the arm, hand, adjusting the the tone in his voice during interpretation, comforting the distraught spouse who was understandably devastated. He was the only one in the room who was able to make that personal connection we all long for during moments of distress; face to face, to help bring understanding to this patients spouse and his coworkers in the room.

Angel didn’t just stop at simply interpreting, he delivered the personal and human connection needed due to the tragic loss of this patient to his spouse and you could tell she felt comfort in knowing someone understood her, and could communicate efficiently and effectively, in real time. Patients are our primary focus but we also must take care of the family as well, and Angel did exactly that. He went above and beyond as usual to provide a safe place of comfort for this spouse. Angel could have gone back to his busy job once the conversation ended, but in true Angel form he didn’t stop there. Due to being in the room and able to visualize the spouses devastation, he sat with her. For a very long time. Something that would be missed via a language line interpreting service. She opened up to him about their life together, their children, their upcoming anniversary. During her intermittent weeping, Angel sat by her side, listening, engaging, pausing for moments of weeping, comforting, supporting. He too formed a connection, talking about his life and children. Something this spouse needed in the moment. Something that could have been missed had he not taken the time to be present in the moment for her.

Angel lived up to his name tonight, as he always does and always has for 20 years of blessing Tidal Healths Emergency Department. But seeing the relief on this spouses face knowing he was there for her as she sat alone waiting for family is something I’ll truly never forget. He made a lasting impression on her (and myself) and seeing her cry and look over to him as a source of comfort and seeing her squeezing his hand while crying out and being in need of human touch is an act of selfless compassion I will never ever forget.

Thank you Angel for always being there for us, personally and professionally, always being available for anything, and never losing sight of the why of our sometimes very difficult job. It is easy to become hardened and guarded after 20 years of working in trauma, but you never have, and you never lose sight of the importance of kindness, empathy, caring, and compassion. You are the very person I hope everyone becomes when choosing a career in emergency medicine."

De Jesus was honored in a ceremony before his coworkers and presented with fresh flowers, a pin, and a certificate recognizing his exceptional devotion to team and patient care.

To nominate a TidalHealth certified nursing assistant (CNA), clinical support technician (CST), patient care technician (PCT), or patient care assistant for this award, visit our Sunshine Award Nomination Form.