May 2026 DAISY® and BEE Award Recipients
Published on: July 9, 2026
Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is proud to announce its DAISY and BEE Award recipients for May 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.
Chastity Davis, an RN in Interventional Radiology at Samaritan Medical Center, was honored with the May DAISY Award. Nominated by Dr. Russell Reeves, Davis was recognized for her extraordinary compassion, exceptional care, and unwavering dedication to ensuring every patient receives safe, high-quality care. Her commitment to honoring each person’s cultural background and individual needs exemplifies the compassion and excellence that define Samaritan’s nursing team.
The DAISY Award is an international award, backed by The DAISY Foundation. As a DAISY Award honoree, Davis 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.
Douglas Collins II, Information Technology Systems Analyst, received the May BEE Award. Nominated by multiple coworkers, Collins was recognized for his outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence during and after the transition to a new Human Resources Information System. His colleagues praised his attention to detail, responsiveness and positive attitude, noting that he approaches every question with enthusiasm and a genuine willingness to help. His exceptional support and teamwork have made a lasting impact on caregivers across the organization.
Collins 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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Above: Samaritan’s May 2026 DAISY Award recipient Chastity Davis, RN, and May 2026 BEE Award recipient Douglas Collins II, Information Technology Systems Analyst.
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 serve 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.