GSRMC Honors Two Units With DAISY Team Awards December 20, 2024 A team from the ICU and the staff of the Center for Women and Families will be recognized by Good Samaritan with the hospital’s first two DAISY Team awards at a ceremony on Monday, Dec. 9. “I am very excited to see our DAISY program grow with the new addition of the DAISY Team Award,” said Laura Sailor, GSRMC DAISY coordinator. “This provides the opportunity to honor and celebrate every multidisciplinary member of the care team who contribute impactful care to our community through their unique expression of PRIDE values.” The ICU team was recognized by out-of-state family members for care the team gave their father during a challenging hospital stay. One of the team members highlighted was Lacey Axelson, RN. “Lacey immediately explained everything she was doing, what medications were infusing, plans for the day and what we needed to see happen to get him off the ventilator,” the nominator wrote. “She was so supportive. When my dad was anxious, she sat and listened to his stories. She truly made a difference to not only our father, but our family as well.” The nomination letter highlighted other health care professionals, including Kyle Riebem, CNA, and Elle Principe, RN, who also made significant impacts on the family’s experience. “Traditionally, the DAISY Foundation promotes the celebration of one Nurse Leader and one Team Award per year,” Sailor said. “However, in honor of DAISY’s 25th anniversary, our leadership team advocated to up the ante for 2024 and broaden this year’s celebration with honoring six individual winners, two Nurse Leader and two Team Award winners.” This second DAISY Team Award went to the entire staff of Good Samaritan’s Center for Women and Families who were nominated by a new mom for the medical team’s support through the childbirth process. In the nomination letter, the new mom explained that despite entering the day feeling terrified and grief-stricken, the team members’ compassion and care ultimately led her to a beautiful experience of life and growth that she would not change. “You guys made me feel respected, informed, heard, and safe to be vulnerable,” the nominator wrote. “My faith in care in a hospital setting has been restored; your team is doing absolutely critical work. I came out not only with my daughter healthy in my arms, but with wounds in my soul healed.” She concluded her heartfelt message by requesting that her appreciation be shared with the nurses, specifically noting her appreciation for their wonderful sense of humor and expressing her strong desire to potentially birth her next child with the same team. “It is so inspiring to read all the reflections of gratitude expressed in the exponential number of nominations written on behalf of our incredible staff,” Sailor said. The awards ceremony to recognize the teams along with individual DAISY Award winners will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, at GSRMC in conference rooms A and B. 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.
