LVMC Kicks off DAISY Award Effort

LVMC is pleased to announce that it is participating in the DAISY Award recognition program. The DAISY Foundation was created by the family of Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 at the age of 33 from complications related to Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease. Patrick spent the final 8 weeks of his life in the hospital and his family vividly recalled the “skillful and compassionate care” he received from his nurses.

After his death, they wanted to honor Patrick and say “Thank You” to nurses everywhere by establishing a recognition program in his memory.

DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The program is now in 4,500 hospitals and schools in every state and 28 countries. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses during his illness inspired the unique way of thanking nurses for making a “profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families,” the Foundation stated.

LVMC nurses will be selected throughout the year as recipients of the DAISY Award. Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, or colleagues and the recipients will be chosen by an LVMC committee. The merit-based award honors not only great clinical skills and leadership but especially strong patient care and compassion.

“When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night,” said DAISY Foundation President and Co-Founder Bonnie Barnes. “Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at Lompoc Valley Medical Center are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of the DAISY Award.”

Earning the award, the Foundation notes, is an expression of gratitude that will help nurses “always remember the unforgettable impact their care has on patients and families.” It will inspire nurses to provide extraordinary care not only with their brains but also with their hearts, the Foundation stated.

Since its inception, more than 136,000 nurses have been honored and more than 1.6 million nominations have been written. Nomination forms are available throughout the LVMC, the Comprehensive Care Center, and at Lompoc Health sites. Registered Nurse Kassi Smith, BSN, is leading the program for LVMC.

One award will be presented each quarter, Smith said.

“This is a very prestigious award and internationally recognized,” she explained.

Each DAISY Award honoree will receive a certificate proclaiming them an “Extraordinary Nurse.” They will also receive a lapel pin and a hand-carved serpentine stone sculpture from Zimbabwe, called “A Healer’s Touch.”

At each presentation, all nurses and staff will be treated to a cinnamon roll or cinnamon treat. When Patrick was in the hospital, he had no appetite. One day his father visited and had a cinnamon roll, and Patrick ate the entire treat. He asked his father to bring another one the next day, but also enough for all the nurses on his unit. The DAISY Foundation suggests that when nurses smell the cinnamon aroma, they “stop for a minute and think of how special you are because you are a nurse. You may take for granted the things you do for your patients, but surely they do not.”

If you would like a nomination form, please email smithk@lompocvmc.com. For more information, see daisyfoundation.org.