HERMISTON, Ore.- Nurses and support staff at Good Shepherd Health Care System (GSHCS) were honored with some awards on the afternoon of May 13.
20 nurses were nominated for DAISY Awards, while 10 support staff were nominated for BEE Awards. The Great Catch Award was also presented.
GSHCS President and CEO Art Mathisen spoke of the training, skills, and mindset it takes for healthcare professionals to do their jobs at the ceremony.
“You can’t be truly great without the right mindset, and the individuals nominated for these awards go above and beyond,” said Mathisen. “To everyone on this list, thank you for what you do. For those who nominated these individuals, thank you for thinking of somebody else.”
The DAISY Award
Nominated by their patients, DAISY Awards honor exceptional nurses, with recipients receiving a “Healer’s Touch” sculpture that represents the bond between nurses and patients.
Abbey Royer, a nurse in the Good Shepherd Women’s Center, was nominated for the Daisy Award for her “care during a devastating moment when her patient was overwhelmed by grief, fear, and heartbreak” after suffering a stillbirth.
“I was not expecting this, it’s an honor,” Royer said, sharing that she personally experienced a stillbirth in 2022. “It’s kind of a full-circle moment. If I’m able to help another mother going through the same experience, my experience has meaning. I’m honored that I was able to be that comfort.”
The BEE Award
BEE Awards (Being Exceptional Everyday) recognize extraordinary team members and support staff. Recipients, also nominated by their patients, receive a “Circle of Friends” sculpture.
Jonathon Kayembe, part of the Good Shepherd Security team, received the BEE Award for “going above and beyond each day, being the first to offer support and make sure patients feel valued, and for his compassion that shines through in every situation.”
“It’s a blessing to be acknowledged for my work,” said Kayembe. “As security, we aren’t always part of the happiest situations, but at the end of the day, it’s pretty uplifting if people can step a little lighter because of our presence.”
The Great Catch Award
Great Catch Awards honor health care professionals who proactively recognize potential errors, correcting them before they happen, to the benefit of the safety and well-being of patients.
Mersadees Garcilazo, a nurse in the Emergency Center at Good Shepherd, was honored with the Great Catch Award for her “excellent clinical vigilance, strong attention to detail, and commitment to patient safety.”
“It’s a pleasure working for Good Shepherd and being able to support the community,” said Garcilazo after receiving her award.
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.
Before his death, Barnes spent eight weeks in the hospital, 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 recognizing nurses for the care they provide, and Good Shepherd is a DAISY Award partner.
Attendees of The DAISY and BEE Awards enjoyed cinnamon rolls during the ceremony, a tasty and symbolic treat that goes back to the dawn of The DAISY Foundation.
As Sevana Reardon, a Family Birth Center Nurse at Good Shepherd, 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 asked his father for a bite and ended up eating an entire 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.
