Meaningful Reflections: November 2025 Human Sunshine Award 

By Kim Crawford Meeks
Spiritual Health & Counseling Manager

As we present our final Human Sunshine Awards for 2025, I think about all of our recipients from the year and how they receive and offer sunshine to others. I believe every one of our employees chosen for this award share a common explanation that they draw light from others.

As we all continue on life's journey, let us remember that the light we shine greatly impacts those whom we meet along the pathway. Light may be offered from an outstretched hand, a kind word, a giving heart, or a simple smile. We are not able to offer light to others, though, unless we receive light first.

As we experience challenging and difficult days, it is important to allow light to enter. As we encounter circumstances and emotions, if we process these in our minds, we may find that we are creating more stress and making things worse. Next time we need to receive light into our day, let's try stopping, taking a deep breath, and turning away from our minds and toward our hearts. The light within our hearts will guide us to hope.

It is my privilege to announce our Human Sunshine recipients: Carson Blankenship, PA-C, and Robert Greer, M.D., who certainly offer light to all of us.

Carson Blankenship, PA-C

What is your role at USA Health, and how long have you been with USA Health?  

I am a physician assistant at SouthNet Medical Clinic, which serves as a primary/urgent care facility for University of South Alabama, including USA Health, employees and dependents 18+.

What do you love about your job?  

I love my co-workers and the positive environment we have cultivated at our clinic. We all genuinely love each other and fill the workday with laughter. I am also incredibly lucky to have Dr. Theresa Yarbrough as my collaborating physician. She is not only my boss, but a great friend, and her expertise molds me into a better provider every single day.  

Do you find fulfillment from your role? If so, how?  

I find deep fulfillment in the opportunity to care for those whose daily work is centered on caring for others. Healthcare professionals are often so focused on meeting the needs of their patients that their own well-being is overlooked. In this role, I am reminded that those who provide care also deserve care. I am grateful for the role to help restore health, balance, and resilience to those who make USA function.  

Our theme for Spiritual Health and Counseling this year is, "If you can't find the sunshine, be the sunshine." When the world is bleak around you, how do you find the sunshine?  

Laughter! It sounds so cliche, but I have always believed laughter is the best medicine. Those moments when you’re with a group of friends and you’re all rolling on the floor in tears just laughing. Those are the moments in life that make it worth living.  

Is there a quote that brings you sunshine on a cloudy day?  

My dad used to say, “Life’s a b****, and then you die.” He said this my whole life, but he never meant it pessimistically. What he meant was that life is full of twists and turns, obstacles and hardships; and then one day, you die. Life’s challenges mold us into stronger, more resilient individuals. So, do not be scared of life’s journey. Embrace it until the very end.

Robert Greer, M.D.

What is your role at USA Health, and how long have you been with USA Health?

I returned to Mobile in 2020 to join USA Health’s Mobile Diagnostic Clinic, where I launched the asthma, allergy and immunology department. Starting a new clinic in the middle of COVID certainly came with challenges, but once operations normalized, the clinic quickly gained momentum. Since then, we’ve grown significantly and now serve patients across Mobile, the surrounding counties, and the health system. We’ve expanded our services to include on-site respiratory therapists, comprehensive allergy testing, pulmonary function testing, immunotherapy, and biologic infusions, among others.  

What do you love about your job here? Does your role impact patients, families, and employees? If so, how?

I love the clinical side of my work — being able to collaborate every day with the frontline staff who are truly the heartbeat of healthcare. Working together to solve problems, support patients, and make a tangible difference in the community is incredibly rewarding. I also really enjoy the breadth of the specialty. I get to care for children, adults, and seniors, which often means treating multiple generations within the same family. It’s meaningful to build those long-term relationships and see how our care can positively impact not only individual patients but their families, and even our own employees within the health system.

 Do you find fulfillment from your role? If so, how?

Fulfillment for me comes from seeing how much we can improve a patient’s quality of life — sometimes in a remarkably short period of time. Conditions like eczema and asthma can be incredibly disruptive, and it’s rewarding to use the treatments and medications we have today to help patients breathe easier, feel more comfortable, and get back to living their lives. Watching those transformations firsthand is one of the most meaningful parts of my work.

 Our theme for Spiritual Health and Counseling this year is, "If you can't find the sunshine, be the sunshine." When the world is bleak around you, how do you find the sunshine?

There are two ways I find sunshine on a bleak day:

1. Finding light in our work family: We spend a tremendous amount of time with our “work family,” and that community brings its own kind of sunshine. We laugh, support each other, and create an environment that’s both lighthearted and deeply focused on patient care. Even on difficult days, there is always laughter, and knowing that we’ve helped patients and families along the way brings a sense of purpose and warmth that lifts all of us.

2. Connecting beyond the chart: Our asthma and allergy clinic is often very busy, but I make it a point to slow down with a few patients each day. I try to learn who they are beyond their medical chart, such as where they’re from, what brought them to Mobile, what they enjoy, and what truly matters to them.

These conversations often grow into meaningful moments about life, family, and children. My patients know about my own family and what’s happening in my world because I want them to feel comfortable with their clinician and trust me with their stories, as well. Those connections remind me why I do what I do, and they bring a kind of sunshine that brightens even the toughest days.

 Is there someone who you think of when you think of human sunshine?

My two boys, John, 9, and Slaten, 6, are my human sunshine. There’s nothing better than pulling into the driveway at home on a rainy day and watching them sprint out with umbrellas just to give me a hug. Rain or shine, they drop whatever they’re doing and run to the car for a grand reception every single day. They’ll never fully realize how much joy, light, and pure sunshine those moments bring me as their dad.

 Is there a quote that brings you sunshine on a cloudy day?

 “Don’t count the days; make the days count.” — Muhammad Ali

This quote hits home for me because the days that truly count aren’t always the big or easy ones. They’re often the ordinary moments that bring unexpected light. Some days at the clinic are long, busy, or heavy, but a laugh with my work family or a meaningful conversation with a patient can brighten everything.  

Those small moments remind me why I’m here and why the work matters. And when I pull into my driveway and see my boys running out — rain or shine — for a hug, that’s the kind of sunshine that stays with me. It’s those simple, genuine moments that turn a cloudy day into something beautiful. They remind me that meaning isn’t found in counting the days, but in being fully present for the people who bring joy, purpose, and light into my life. 

Learn more about Spiritual Health and Counseling at USA Health. Patients, family members, and USA Health associates are encouraged to call the Meaningful Reflections Line at 251-445-9016 for a daily recorded word of encouragement.