DAISY Award Celebrates Albany Nurse’s Positive Impact on Families June 18, 2025 Samaritan Albany General Hospital has partnered with The DAISY Foundation to recognize extraordinary nurses for the compassionate care they provide to patients and families every day. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. Heidi Ripp, RN, is a longtime member of the Women’s Center and has worked at Samaritan Albany General Hospital for 35 years, serving in both full-time and part-time roles on day and night shifts. As an educator, Ripp was instrumental in bringing the Neonatal Resuscitation Program to Samaritan Health Services in the 1990s and continues to teach this essential training to nurses. She also leads the system’s Perinatal Bereavement team, a program she helped establish to support families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. Ripp provides care and guidance in the immediate moments of loss, assists with end-of-life needs, as well as follows up with families afterward. She has helped write policy, train staff across the system, and lead a team of nurses, maternity care coordinators and chaplains in this work. She also organizes a twice-yearly memorial service in partnership with Willamette Memorial Park to honor babies who died before birth. She was nominated by a grateful patient and her family, who praised her calm presence and compassionate care during five of their births at Samaritan Albany General Hospital. The nominator stated:“Heidi holds a special place in the hearts of our entire family due to the compassion and excellent care she has shown our entire family through five different births. Our family’s latest addition took place last November. Emily was admitted during the evening the day before she was scheduled to be induced. In the morning, Heidi arrived to work with the intention of being charge nurse that day but once she realized Emily had been admitted and was due to start the induction process, she was able to switch so that she could be there for Emily for the fifth time. “This pregnancy had gone from simple and easy to stressful in the final weeks of pregnancy. Emily had been experiencing pregnancy induced hypertension, and this was also her first time being induced and she was very anxious about the process. Heidi was the calm that Emily needed. You could see Emily’s pulse and blood pressure decrease the second Heidi walked into the room. As labor progressed, Heidi was constantly vigilant of Emily’s pain management, labor progression and mental well-being. Heidi could look at Emily and tell if she was attempting to hide her pain or discomfort. She was able to tell that the epidural was once again not working appropriately and ended up calling the anesthesiologist three different times to try and find Emily comfort to ease her pain. When it came time to push, the epidural was not functional at all, and Emily felt every bit of this labor. Unknown to us until after delivery, the procedure room was being prepared for an emergency C-section for Emily to deliver our baby due to Emily’s level of pain and the baby not dropping. Heidi never led on to the concern that was present or that this was taking place. She was focused on keeping Emily calm, maintaining a stable blood pressure and ensuring the delivery room was prepped and ready for baby’s arrival. “As you can tell, Heidi has been present for five very special events that has shaped our family. Her commitment to the care of her patients is the reason our children are alive today. Her level of compassion has been displayed during each labor by being committed to Emily’s pain management and trying to keep her as comfortable as possible. This extends from physical pain to the emotional well-being of her patients. Being the friendly face, the pillar of emotional support and guiding light like an angel in the darkness. These are all ways that Heidi has gone above and beyond to provide excellent holistic care in the hospital. “In our eyes, Heidi is a role model for not only other nurses but also members of society. She truly cares about every person in society. She is a credit to the nursing profession, a shining star among a galaxy, and the calm in the storm of chaos. She embodies all the qualities of an excellent nurse with an emphasis on holistic care and compassion.” Carrie Durkee, Ripp’s supervisor, says she’s a nurse who leads with empathy and always put patients first. “Heidi is one the kindest people I’ve ever met,” Durkee said. “She has a way of making everyone feel seen and supported – whether it’s a patient, a grieving family or a fellow co-worker. She taught me how to listen with compassion and how to be present, even when words fall short. Heidi doesn’t just care for people; she remembers their stories and celebrates their milestones. She constantly shows up with small acts of kindness that make a big difference. She knows how to make her team smile and feel cared for. Nursing isn’t work for her, it’s a calling and she excels at it.” A ceremony was held to honor Ripp and the PRIDE — passion, respect, integrity, dedication and excellence — she shows in her work. At the ceremony, Ripp was celebrated by her family, colleagues and the family that nominated her. She was presented with a certificate, DAISY pin and a beautiful Healer’s Touch statue created by an artist in Zimbabwe, which symbolizes the relationship between nurses, patients and families. Along with the public recognition, DAISY award winners receive financial discounts for nursing certification training, reduced tuition for continued education, conference scholarship opportunities and are eligible for the national DAISY Award. The DAISY Award was established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes to “honor the super-human work nurses do for patients and families every day wherever they practice, in whatever role they serve and throughout their careers, from student through a lifetime of achievement.” To learn more, visit DAISYfoundation.org. To nominate an extraordinary Samaritan nurse, go to samhealth.org/DAISY.
