Hoechlin Honored as Fall DAISY Award Winner at GSRMC

Shortly before sunrise, as Katherine Hoechlin, RN, arrived to start her shift on the progressive care unit at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center, she noticed a group of managers and co-workers gathered around the nursing station with the DAISY Award cart and banner.

“I thought there was a gathering for somebody else,” Hoechlin said. “I was like, oh yeah, absolutely. I can’t wait to watch this.”

Little did she know the fall DAISY Award honor was meant for her.

“I had no idea it was for me at all,” she said. “I’m still shocked.”

Hoechlin was nominated by a retired nurse who witnessed her exceptional dedication and compassionate care while tending to her brother-in-law, who had been brought in by Life Flight to Good Sam after a heart attack.

“She goes the extra mile and checks on family members and patients even when they are not her direct patients,” wrote nominator Sandi Stuhr, RN, about her brother-in-law’s care. “Katie took care of him prior to his surgery. She made him laugh while delivering excellent care.”

Stuhr also noted that Hoechlin helped the family feel comfortable by checking in on them during the patient’s open-heart surgery, including assuring them he was receiving excellent care from the surgical team.

Hoechlin remembers that day vividly.

“I was having such a bad day and had another experience with a patient that was really difficult to navigate, and I felt like I wasn’t doing a good job at all,” she said.

Around that time, PCU Manager Jim Herman III, RN, stopped by to share that a patient’s family had just said something really nice about her.

“That made my day,” Hoechlin said.

“Katie is warm, empathetic, supportive and kind,” Herman said. “Her patients report truly enjoying the time she spends with them. Her smile brings a glow to those she cares for. We are so glad to have her as part of the PCU team.”

Hoechlin is in her fourth year of nursing after transitioning from an EKG tech position at Good Sam.

“Ultimately, I wanted to help people and make a difference,” she said. “I was still trying to figure out where in health care I wanted to go, and all of the nurses here really inspired me.”

That inspiration led her to nursing school, which eventually brought her back to Good Sam.

“It’s been the best experience,” Hoechlin said. “Everybody on PCU is amazing, and I attribute everything that I am as a nurse to all of the people around me. Truly, they’re amazing people.”

The DAISY Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura autoimmune disease. The care Barnes received inspired his family to create the award to thank nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patients’ families.

Patients, families and co-workers can nominate a nurse for a DAISY Award at samhealth.org/DAISY. More information is available at daisyfoundation.org.