John Blenkinsopp Honored With DAISY Leadership Award December 20, 2024 John Blenkinsopp, RN, vice president of Patient Care Services, was surprised at the end of a recent managers’ meeting with an announcement by COO Brandon Schmidgall that Blenkinsopp will receive this year’s final DAISY Nurse Leader Award. Blenkinsopp will receive the award for his exceptional contributions to health care at an awards ceremony Monday, Dec. 9, at GSRMC. His journey into nursing is deeply personal, rooted in a profound experience of caring for his mother after a massive stroke, which ignited his passion for helping others and inspired him to follow his family’s tradition of caregiving. Blenkinsopp’s approach to nursing leadership is characterized by an unwavering commitment to patient care and professional development. “The DAISY award for leadership, to me signifies a strong reinforcement of the work that I do to support our teams in providing safe, quality patient care to our community,” Blenkinsopp shared. “Since John came to us as our chief nurse, he has brought a true sense of pride and passion for care to our facility,” the nominator wrote. “He is always upbeat and positive, models our PRIDE values and lives our vision and mission at the medical center.” What sets Blenkinsopp apart is his multifaceted approach to leadership. He brings extensive clinical expertise gained from years of experience across various health care settings, which he leverages to drive meaningful change. “Although not at the bedside any longer, my work is to provide a solid framework for our nursing teams to provide that level of care and service based on evidence-based practice and the highest quality of safe care,” Blenkinsopp said. The nomination letter also highlighted Blenkinsopp’s efforts in spearheading innovative change that not only “improved the standard and scope of care at Good Samaritan,” but also united the nursing team around a shared vision of excellence. “Being honored with the DAISY Leader Award made me feel respected and supported in the role I have as a leader,” Blenkinsopp said. “It ignites a drive to continue to enhance and build on the care our nurses provide now and into the future.” The DAISY Nurse Leader Award recognizes nurses who demonstrate extraordinary compassion and exceptional leadership in health care. Blenkinsopp’s nomination highlights his remarkable ability to lead with both clinical excellence and emotional intelligence. He is particularly proud of his team, noting, “The nursing team at Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center is motivated and engaged to provide safe effective quality care for our community. They are passionate about what they do, and it is my role to help identify and remove barriers to care.” In the nomination letter, his colleagues describe him as a “shining example” who not only understands the technical aspects of health care, but also deeply comprehends the human elements of healing and support. Caption: Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center coordinator Laura Sailor presents The Healer’s Touch sculpture to John Blenkinsopp, vice president of patient care services. The sculpture is hand-carved for us by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
