South Texas Health System nurse wins national contest

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — South Texas Health System (STHS) Edinburg honored a member of its emergency room nursing staff on Thursday.

Javen Hinojosa was celebrated by STHS as the winner of the ImageFIRST annual HeroesFirst competition, a national contest that celebrates healthcare heroes who go above and beyond to positively impact the lives of their patients.

Hinojosa said the support that he's gotten from family, friends and former employers has been overwhelming.

"I'm just so blessed to have this opportunity right now," Hinojosa said. "I'm just so happy. I don't have much more words than I'm just so happy right now."

"I just want to thank everyone that supported me," Hinojosa continued. "I just want to thank everybody from the bottom of my heart. It really means a lot, and we got to put the RGV on the map because of this and because of everybody that participated."

More than 600 nominations were submitted nationwide, according to the organization's website. From those nominations, 20 Healthcare Heroes were selected as finalists.

It is the first time a nurse from the Rio Grande Valley finished in the top 8.

When asked what he would do with the $16,500 cash prize, Hinojosa said he would donate a portion, use some of it for school and the rest for fun.