The "DAISY" award to celebrate extraordinary nurses

Greene County Medical Center is beginning a new recognition for exceptional patient care by its nurses, with the internatonally-known “DAISY” award to be twice each year.

Nominations can be made by patients, their family members, caretakers, community members or co-workers.

In the first round of nominations, which closed Aug. 1, 13 nurses were nominated. The winner of the medical center’s first DAISY award will be named at a public ceremony on Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. in the cafeteria.

Katie Heldt, chief nursing executive, was inspired by DAISY awards being given to nurses at other facilities and was determined to see Greene County Medical Center’s “extraordinary nurses” be recognized, too.

The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the “superhuman efforts nurses perform every day.” That foundation was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. He died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

In the past 15 years, the DAISY award recognitions have been started at more than 1,700 medical facilities worldwide, and thousands of nurses have been honored.

The first-time list of nominees at Greene County Medical Center includes nurses from every area of the hospital.

“We are looking for nurses who go above and beyond their normal daily routine or nurses who have made a specific impact on patient care,” said Robin Gunn, the DAISY award committee chairperson. “That’s just what patients and families are looking for, too.”

At the Aug. 21 public ceremony, all 13 nominees will be recognized, the recommendations will be read, and then one winner will be announced. The DAISY Award winner will receive a certificate that reads, “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” The honoree will also receive a beautiful sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.

Nursing executive Heldt said “this is going to be something the medical center does twice a year, and having 13 nominees in our first go around is incredibly exciting. The enthusiasm shows that there are a lot of great nurses at the medical center that our patients want to recognize.”


DAISY Award nominees are:

Andrea Allbee, Acute Care
Sarah Borgeson, Surgery/Public Health
Carol Christenson, Long Term Care
Lori Herrick, Emergency
Jeanne Hoening, Long Term Care
Kristie Hurley, Medical Center Clinics
Tina McCollom, Surgery
Desiree Monaghan, Acute Care
Bev Morgan, Long Term Care
Tammy Spaulding, Long Term Care
Kim Tasler, Acute Care
Jenny Taylor, Medical Center Clinics
Heather Wilson, Advanced Women’s Care