Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is pleased to announce its DAISY and BEE Award recipients for November 2022. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® recognizes exemplary nursing staff, and the BEE Award honors other outstanding staff members who support patient care, both at the hospital and all outpatient clinics.
Casey Hughes, a Registered Nurse at Samaritan Home Health, received the DAISY Award. Ruth Reinbeck and Lisa Ericzon, Central Sterile Technicians in Surgical Services at Samaritan Medical Center, received the BEE Award.
Stephanie Parks, Director of Patient Services, Samaritan Home Health, nominated Hughes saying:
“Casey is a home care nurse that goes above and beyond to always put patient needs first. In homecare the nurses are in the home with no other medical professional with them. Generally home care visits take between 30-60 minutes. Casey was going to see a patient for the first time since they were discharged from the hospital. Upon her thorough assessment she revealed that the patient’s wound was much worse than expected. Casey spent two hours in the patient’s home to ensure proper care and follow up was performed. Casey is a great example of Samaritan’s HEART values. She takes care of each and every patient as if they were her own family member.”
For receiving the DAISY Award – which is an international award backed by The DAISY Foundation – Hughes was presented a certificate commending her as an extraordinary nurse, a DAISY Award pin, and a symbolic sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” which is hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. A larger version of this sculpture has also been installed in the Healing Gardens at Samaritan Medical Center in honor of all DAISY and BEE Award winners to come. It was purchased using funds donated by the Samaritan Auxiliary.
Ruth Powell, FNP, Surgical Services, Samaritan Medical Center, nominated Reinbeck and Ericzon.
“Ruth and Lisa have both been here at Samaritan for greater than 20 years. They exemplify “being excellent every day and for being extraordinary team members.” They are highly respected and trusted by their coworkers and peers. I have seen them work countless numbers of hours when their unit was short staffed, or someone needed training. They have been here through an entire move from combining two totally different ORs into one new OR. They were instrumental in the tedious job of converting paper to computer practices in regard to OR surgical instruments and sterilization methods. Ruth and Lisa are always looking for ways to improve processes which leads to more efficiency in their area. This, in turn, leads to a more efficient operating room. Ruth and Lisa are the backbone of their department. They make a meaningful difference every day in the care of patients.”
Reinbeck and Ericzon were each presented with a certificate, a BEE Award pin, and a gift bag with other tokens of gratitude.
Both awards will continue to be presented throughout the year, and nominations can be submitted by patients, families, or colleagues at any time. To make a nomination or to learn more about the Samaritan DAISY and BEE Awards, visit www.samaritanhealth.com/daisy-bee.
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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.
