HERMISTON, Ore.-Staff at Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) were honored with some awards on the afternoon of October 28.
View a photo gallery of the awards ceremony here.
“One of the fundamental things for any good organization is recognition,” said GSHCS President and CEO Art Mathisen. “You cannot recognize people enough, and I love that we’ve put this program together.”
The awards ceremony marked the fourth time GSHCS nurses and other staff members were honored with DAISY, BEE, and Great Catch awards.
“I really like how great nurses get recognized and in turn those nurses recognize others,” said Mathisen. “Health care is a team sport.”
19 nurses were nominated for DAISY awards, while four other staff members were nominated for BEE awards.
Six staff members were also nominated for Great Catch Awards, which recognize work on behalf of patients that often goes unnoticed.
The DAISY Awards
Nurses are nominated for DAISY Awards by their patients, with winners receiving a “Healer’s Touch” sculpture representing the bond between nurse and patient.
Kathleen Hulon received a DAISY award for her efforts on behalf of an infusion patient.
“I’m very honored, I didn’t expect this,” said Hulon. “It’s nice to be recognized, of course, that’s not why I do it.”
A family member whose mother comes to GSHCS for infusions nominated Hulon for a DAISY award for making their mother feel “seen, valued, and not like a patient.”
Hulon was also noted for her ability to laugh and engage with patients, making them feel at ease.
“Being a nurse is more than a job for her – it’s who she is,” said Hulon’s nomination. “I’m grateful for the difference she’s made in my mom’s health care journey.”
Hulon worked as a traveling nurse through three contracts when management at GSHCS talked to her about staying, and now she’s found a home.
“I was a traveler and they kept me,” said Hulon, who tries to keep a light approach with patients. “I’m glad I made someone happy; laughter is one of the first things I try.”
BEE Awards
BEE Awards (Being Exceptional Everyday) honor non-nursing GSHCS staff members.
Recipients of BEE Awards are also nominated by patients, with winners receiving a “Circle of Friends” sculpture.
Rhianna Pitney received a BEE award for “always doing an amazing job and being a conduit from patient to doctor.”
According to her nomination, Pitney was also recognized for her “leadership and willingness to take on any task,” and she deserves the recognition for the “awesome professional she is.”
Great Catch Award
Great Catch Awards honor health care professionals who proactively recognize potential errors, correcting them before they happen, benefiting the safety and well-being of patients.
Marla McQuatters received the Great Catch Award for her “careful attention to detail that patients never see but depend on.”
After reviewing a patient’s chart and realizing that the infusion plan did not match the medication that had been prescribed, McQuatters called the pharmacy and worked through the situation.
The DAISY program at Good Shepherd
The DAISY (Disease Attacking the Immune System) Foundation was formed by the family of Patrick Barnes, who died of an auto-immune disease in 1999.
Barnes spent eight weeks in the hospital before his death, during which time the compassion and dedication of his nurses impressed his family, ultimately inspiring them to form the DAISY Foundation to recognize exceptional nurses in his honor.
Today, the DAISY Award is an international program active in 33 countries that recognizes nurses for the care they provide.
Good Shepherd is now a DAISY Award partner, with Nurse Manager Cherie Wilson, and Sevana Reardon, a Family Birth Center Nurse at GSHCS serving as DAISY Coordinators.
Nominees for DAISY and BEE Awards are submitted to a committee who grades the nominations based on the GSHCS values of Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence (ICARE).
Nominees and attendees of the awards ceremony enjoyed cinnamon rolls, a tasty and symbolic treat dating back to the dawn of the DAISY Foundation.
As Wilson explained, when Barnes was in the hospital near the end of his life, he couldn’t eat much, but one day his family brought cinnamon rolls when they came to visit.
Barnes reportedly asked his father for a bite and ended up eating an entire cinnamon roll before asking his family if they could bring enough to share with the nurses caring for him the next time they came.
Today cinnamon rolls symbolize the compassion and care that nurses provide for patients and families.
More information about the DAISY and BEE Awards at Good Shepherd, including nomination forms, is available online.
