Albany Hospital Recognizes First Recipient of DAISY Award September 28, 2020 Samaritan Albany General Hospital has partnered with The DAISY Foundation in a mission to recognize extraordinary, compassionate nurses and the care they provide to patients and families every day. DAISY is an acronym for diseases attacking the immune system. Shellene Foster, RN, at the Ambulatory Surgery Center, is the recipient of the first DAISY Award at SAGH. Foster was nominated by Sharon Pomeroy for the devoted care Foster provided to her daughter. “Shellene has taken care of my special-needs daughter twice in the OR,” said Pomeroy. “She has brought me great comfort and shown compassion towards my daughter and her needs. She was always in complete control of the situation no matter how difficult things became. She has gone out of her way to figure out any and all options to make the experience of the OR a positive one for our whole family. When we scheduled this last surgery, we specifically asked for Shellene because she had been so amazing and understanding three years before. Although she was not scheduled to work the day of my daughter’s surgery, she came in anyway to be there for us. I am so amazed by the quality of care she gives. She is the best nurse I have ever seen.” A ceremony was held on Sept. 24 to honor Foster and the PRIDE she shows in her work. She was presented with a certificate and a beautiful Healer’s Touch statue created by an artist in Zimbabwe, which symbolizes the relationship between nurses, patients and families. “I am humbled by the love and grace shown towards me,” said Foster. “My patients give me more than I could ever give them. It’s a true blessing to be able to care for Sharon’s daughter. I have the best job in the world and look forward to it every day.” Foster has worked with Samaritan since 2001, when she started with the Surgery Center as a certified nursing assistant. She became a licensed practical nurse in 2003 and a registered nurse in 2004. The DAISY Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura autoimmune 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. Nominate an extraordinary Samaritan nurse. To learn more about The DAISY Award, visit DAISYfoundation.org.
