February 2026 DAISY®, and BEE Award Recipients
Published on: April 9, 2026
Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is proud to announce its DAISY and BEE Award recipients for February 2026. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® honors exceptional nursing staff, while the BEE Award recognizes other outstanding team members who demonstrate excellence every day, both at the hospital and in outpatient clinics.
Nichole Covell, Registered Nurse (RN) and Lactation Educator at Samaritan’s Car-Freshner Center for Women and Children, was honored with the February DAISY Award. Nominated by a patient, she was recognized for her professionalism and compassionate care. The patient shared how meaningful it was to feel truly heard, noting that Covell’s attentive approach provided comfort and reassurance during her experience.
The DAISY Award is an international award, backed by The DAISY Foundation. As a DAISY Award honoree, Covell received a certificate of recognition, a DAISY Award pin, and the “A Healer’s Touch” sculpture—hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. A larger version of the sculpture has been installed in Samaritan’s Healing Gardens to honor all current and future DAISY and BEE Award winners, funded by the Samaritan Auxiliary.
Jacqueline Maynes, Nursing Assistant (NA) at Samaritan’s Progressive Care Unit, received the February BEE Award. Maynes was nominated by a patient who highlighted the nursing assistant’s wonderful personality and ability to make the patient feel comforted.
Maynes received a certificate, a BEE Award pin, and a gift bag with tokens of appreciation.
These awards are presented year-round, and patients, families, and colleagues are encouraged to submit nominations at any time. To make a nomination or learn more about the DAISY and BEE Awards, visit samaritanhealth.com/daisy-bee.
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Pictured here are Samaritan’s February 2026 DAISY Award recipient, Nichole Covell, RN (left), and February 2026 BEE Award recipient, Jacqueline Maynes, NA (right).
About Samaritan Medical Center
Samaritan Medical Center (Watertown, New York) is a 290-bed not-for-profit community medical center, offering a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services. From primary and emergency care to highly specialized medical and surgical services, such as cancer treatment, neonatal intensive care, behavioral health and addiction services, and imaging services, Samaritan Medical Center and its team of healthcare professionals proudly serves the medical needs of our civilian and military community. Quality, compassion, and safety are the basic principles by which exceptional care is delivered at Samaritan.
About The DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit 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 (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) 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. In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 3,900 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of direct care Nurses, Nurse-led Teams, Nurse Leaders, Nursing Faculty, Nursing Students, through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects and for nurses participating in medical missions. More information is available at http://www.DAISYfoundation.org.