Watertown, NY – Samaritan Medical Center is pleased to announce its DAISY and BEE Award recipients for April 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.
Hilary Jacobsen, a Registered Nurse at Samaritan Medical Center, received the DAISY Award. Kim Shelmidine, nursing assistant in Surgical Services, received the BEE Award. Jacobsen was nominated by a grateful patient, and Shelmidine by Kristin Ward, RN, Clinical Nurse Educator. A committee then selected them.
Jacobsen was nominated for calming the patient’s fears and providing detailed explanations of care when the patient was in the hospital. The patient described Jacobsen saying:
“I feel very lucky to be able to count on her for her hard work and dedication. Any young nurse would be lucky to have Hilary as a mentor and to try to emulate her. She was a true team member.”
For receiving the DAISY Award – which is an international award backed by The DAISY Foundation – Jacobsen 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.
Shelmidine was nominated for the BEE Award by Kristin Ward, RN, Clinical Nurse Educator for demonstrating high standards of efficiency and professionalism every day.
“She puts the patient above all else. She keeps our department flowing, she keeps our areas stocked and she does this with a smile every day.”
Shelmidine was 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.
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.