Sierra Vista Regional Health Center:::Quality People-Quality Care

The DAISY Awards

Have you ever received exceptional customer service or care from an individual? Did it ever feel like saying thank you was not enough? Every day, Sierra Vista Regional Health Center (SVRHC) receives letters and e-mails of gratitude from patients and their family members for exceptional care received at the hospital. Many of these letters name various staff members who’ve touched patients with their kindness and caring attitudes. Now, you can recognize a nurse at SVRHC for exemplary service through a program called the DAISY Award.

What is the DAISY Award?

The DAISY award is a nationwide program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care given by nurses everyday. Established in 2000 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died of complications of the auto-immune disease Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura (ITP) DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY award was created in Patrick’s memory after the family was awestruck by the care and compassion his nurses provided not only to Patrick, but to everyone in his family. One of the goals that they set in creating the DAISY Foundation was to recognize extraordinary nurses everywhere who make an enormous difference in the lives of so many people by the astonishing work they do everyday.

The DAISY Award at SVRHC

The DAISY Award honorees personify SVRHC’s remarkable patient experience. These nurses consistently demonstrate excellence through their clinical expertise and extraordinary compassionate care, and they are recognized as outstanding role models in our nursing community. SVRHC will present the DAISY Award once a quarter to a deserving nurse from all of the nominations received. They will be recognized with a certificate, have their name listed on a recognition board, receive a DAISY trophy, and their entire unit will receive Cinnabons and a banner to display. All of these recognitions are supplied to SVRHC by the DAISY Award Foundation.

Nominate a DAISY

You can nominate a deserving nurse by picking up a nomination form at the Concierge Desk in the main lobby at SVRHC, by speaking with the nursing station on which you or your family member is staying, or by e-mailing

Dorothy Pyles at dorothy.pyles@svrhc.org.

DAISY Awardees:

2nd Quarter 2011 DAISY Award Winner:

Maureen Bay, RN (Medical Telemetry)

1st Quarter 2011 DAISY Award Winner:

Erin Cunningham, RN (Progressive Care Unit)

Nomination #1: She is not bashful. She tells it like it is. That is what captured my attention. And, to my surprise, I can talk about any problem without being shyed away or laughed at.

Nomination #2: During my stay in the hospital, this nurse was one of my night nurses who went out of her way to provide exceptional quality care. She assessed my pain every time she came in to check on me; she provided pain medications when I was authorized to have them, and she clustered her care to limit my distractions so I could rest.

Nomination #3: This nurse takes the time to explain what is happening in the patient’s life at the moment. She went over my condition with me and answered all of my concerns. She explained in detail my condition and gave me hope and encouragement. She is compassionate and a great asset to this hospital. She is a very kind and caring person and deserves to be recognized.

4th Quarter 2010 DAISY Winner:

Candace Darling (Progressive Care Unit)

(Nomination #1): She is a cheerful upbringing person that helps patient morale. She was reliable, dependable nurse who many times went above and beyond to care for my wife’s needs and comfort. I believe she has a deep dedication to the hospital and the patients entrusted to her. (P.S.—the entire PCU staff is excellent.)

(Nomination #2): I came in with my heart and they and she took wonderful care of me. One night I had a lot of pain and she was just wonderful. She takes time to listen to me. I had the most wonderful care. First time I have ever been in the hospital and really didn’t want to go home. The whole staff in PCU was just wonderful. She is such a loving and caring person, but she is also very professional.

3rd Quarter 2010 DAISY Winner:

Marizella Bennett (Med/Surg).

(Nomination #1): She was so reassuring to me. She went above and beyond to help me feel comfortable. She was prompt, polite and always had a smile. She made me feel safe and at ease. I always looked forward to having her as my nurse. She did not give pat answers; she researched my questions and concerns so that I was not anxious or scared. In essence, she is more deserving than any other person that took care of me during my stay. She is a breath of fresh air. With that, I say “Thank you—You are the Best.”

(Nomination #2): The first night of admittance, she covered everything for me in detail concerning what I should expect from the hospital point of view, to what I should be doing to help with my recovery. She was always sincere and caring concerning my health and any of my needs. She had kind words of encouragement and helped me to relax and focus on getting well. She worked well with her team as

2nd Quarter 2010 DAISY Winner:

Tammie Friend (ED): This nurse’s last name is a reflection of her approach to nursing which makes her the perfect recipient for the Daisy Award. She comes to work each day with a smile and positive attitude. This positive caring attitude is infectious. One can visibly see the patients brighten up as she enters the room. One day, I assisted her while she was working with a cancer patient in the last stages of the disease. Quietly and gently, while using the best sterile techniques possible, she accessed the patient’s port-a-cath. The area surrounding the port was sore from the multiple accesses. Tears welled up in the patient’s eyes as the access needle plunged into the site. Once she had finished and had the area covered with a sterile dressing, she sat on the bed and hugged the patient until the patient composed herself. Then using her clever humor and her smile, she soon had the patient and the patient’s husband laughing. This illustrates why she is the nurse of choice to orient new nurses to the department. She is the best in all she does and is the best nominee for the Daisy Award.

1st Quarter 2010 DAISY Winner:

Mary Austin, RN (Maternal Child) :

(Nomination #1): This nurse is always willing to go out of her way for patients and their families. She has donated clothes to patients with nothing. She has driven the mother of one of her patients to Tucson because she had no other way to get there to be with her sick baby. These are just two examples of her kindness towards patients.

(Nomination #2): I would like this nurse to be recognized for her extraordinary professionalism and superior care she has long demonstrated in the care of newborns and their families. An advocate for babies, she has worked closely with CPS to make sure an infant does not go into an unsafe environment. She has also come in on her day off to bring clothes she purchased to a homeless mother who had nothing and later drove that mother to Tucson when her baby was too sick to stay here and collaborated with that facility to make sure that new mother had a place to go. Her work and dedication reflect caring, compassion, and commitment. She also participates in end of life care through the C.A.R.E. program, working closely with bereaved parents after they have lost a baby. Several of those parents have even come by the nursery later to express their gratitude for her compassionate care. She should get the Daisy Award for her excellence in compassionate nursing care. She represents what it means to be a nurse.

4th Quarter 2009 DAISY Winner:

Christine Grassman, RN (Med/Tele) I was coming out of a patient’s room when I heard this very loud grunting sound coming from a different patient’s room. I ran in there to find Chris doing the Heimlich maneuver on a patient. The patient had choked on a pill when swallowing all her other pills. The pill flew out of her airway and the patient gasped for air. Chris saved this patient’s life due to her quick skillful actions. What was most amazing was when Chris sat there still hugging the patient and holding her up in the bed, talking calmly to her, telling her that she would be alright. Chris displayed a great amount of compassion and showed her gentle side with her words and actions. Later, when I told Chris that I thought she did an awesome job, she said “We are all trained to do that.” She was so very humble and thought nothing of the magnitude of the feat she carried out. Because of her, this patient will be able to live another day. These are just some of the reasons why Chris should be chosen for the Daisy Award and what makes her an extraordinary nurse.

3rd Quarter 2009 DAISY Winner:

Laureen McArdle, RN (Emergency Department) Nomination #1: The hospital is full of exceptional nurses, but the nurse that exemplifies all the criteria of the Daisy Award is Laureen. She had a patient who was hyperkalemic and required a nasogastric tube, a foley, and an IV with the administration of multiple medications. The patient not only had the serious hyperkalemic condition but she also had a chromosomal disorder that manifested in mild retardation, spinal fusion, contractures, dsphonia, and incontinence. The patient was prone to spasmatic movements as she lay in bed. Laureen first maintained the patient’s safety by placing seizure pads in place. Then, she called upon others to help as she gently and methodically unbended the patient’s contracted arms to place an IV. She explained all to the patient’s concerned mother as she continued to place the foley and nasogastric tube—again gently placing the patient in various positions so that each procedure could be accomplished with as little discomfort as possible. The patient eventually was admitted and this nurse personally took the patient to the floor assuring a smooth and competent transfer. For all who watched her that night, it was apparent she was the most excellent of nurses. She is a nurse we should all strive to be like.

Nomination #2: Laureen’s care and compassion for her patients is evident in her daily hard work and dedication to her patients. I remember one case where an unfortunate 21-year-old male patient who suffered chronic severe lower back pain could not get out of his vehicle in the parking lot. Laureen, despite a recent severe shoulder injury and back pain herself assisted him onto a stretcher and assisted him in filling out his access and disability forms for Arizona.

2nd Quarter 2009 DAISY Winner:

Jan Adamson, RN MSN, CRNI (Med/Surg & Med/Tele) Jan brings hope to everyone she meets. She is the kind of person you look up to and respect. She is the kind of person you can aspire to be like. She does her job(s) in a spectacular fashion. She not only teaches people, but she practices what she teaches. She is an extraordinary nurse, teacher, and person. When she is explaining something to the patient, one of her coworkers or an employee, she is compassionate and understandable. She makes the patient (or anyone else) feel comfortable and leaves them feeling great about themselves. She deserves this award because of her compassion, understanding, kindness, and TRUE nursing skills. We would do well to have more nurses like her.

1st Quarter 2009 DAISY Winner:

Maggie Clemons, RN (Maternal/Child) In October, I had the distinct pleasure of delivering my second baby at SVRHC. As a nurse, it is quite eye opening to be on “the other side of the bed.” I wanted to take the opportunity to share my experience. I was admitted around 8:00 pm and delivered at 4:30 am. During those 8-1/2 hours, my nursing care was exemplary. There wasn’t a single second that I didn’t feel completely safe, and being cared for with complete competence and compassion while my nurse was caring for me. She knew that I wanted to deliver naturally without any pain medication. When I was admitted, she told me just to let her know if I changed my mind and I could have whatever I needed for pain. I appreciated so much that she first took the time to clarify my wants and then never once tried to convince me to take any medication. She was open to any type of pain relief methods I requested and assisted me with each of them. She continuously told me how great of a job I was doing which gave me the strength to continue—at least through the next contraction. When my labor stalled at 8 centimeters, I couldn’t take it anymore. When I did request something for pain, she responded immediately. After over an hour of more pain than I could have anticipated, I gave in and got the epidural. I told her I didn’t know how she could do this job, listening to screaming women like this all day long! Her response? “You are doing such a great job.” Even as I tried to compliment her, she ensured the experience was about me. As nurses, I don’t think we appreciate the impact we have on our patients. They put their complete trust in us, a complete stranger. I am so thankful and glad that God gave me this nurse that night and I will cherish my experience forever thanks to her caring and compassion. I say all this because I hope you will choose her to receive the Daisy Award. I believe she deserves it.

4th Quarter 2008 and SVRHC's very first DAISY Winner:

Anna Tobolski-Ray, RN (Med/Tele Unit) was presented the Daisy Award. Anna has been with the hospital for almost six years. She was nominated by a patient whose life she saved. The patient who had surgery, had an allergic reaction to a medication that she was administered intravenously. As the patient’s complications drastically worsened, Anna who was walking down the hallway, stopped to see if she could assist the other nurses. She stepped in, took over, and stabilized the patient within minutes. The patient said, “Anna was talking to me the whole time, comforting me, and she never left my side until I was out of the woods. I feel I owe her my life. Thank God for Anna. She is a true nurse who is always ready to help and quick on her feet. A lifesaver – a real nurse.”