Our KPMAS nurses are the heart of our health care team, and we are always looking for ways to recognize them for their tireless dedication and commitment to our members. We are excited to announce that KPMAS is participating in the DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses program, which was established “to honor the super-human work nurses do for patients and families every day.”
Nominations are now open through November 8, 2017. To nominate a Kaiser Permanente nurse, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017_DaisyAward.
The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 in memory of Patrick Barnes, who lost his battle with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura. During the last eight weeks of Patrick’s life while he was hospitalized, Patrick’s family said they experienced the best of nursing and wanted to do something in his honor to recognize nurses who go beyond the call of duty to provide the highest care for their patients.
“Just days after he died, we began talking about what we would do to help fill the giant hole in our hearts that Pat’s passing had left,” Patrick’s wife, Tena, wrote on the DAISY Foundation website. Tena came up with the acronym, DAISY, which stands for diseases attacking the immune system.
More than 2,000 health care facilities in all 50 states and 15 countries have committed to honoring nurses with the DAISY Award. We are honored to take part in such a great program to recognize our extraordinary nurses.
Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues, and they are chosen by a committee of nurses at KPMAS to receive The DAISY Award. Awards are given throughout the year at presentations given in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors. Each Honoree will receive a certificate commending her or him for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” The Honoree will also be given a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.
“We are proud to be among the health care organizations participating in the DAISY Award program,” said Joan Gelrud, Vice President, Quality, Regulatory, and Risk Management. “Nurses are heroes every day. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and The DAISY Foundation provides another wonderful way for us to do that.”
We look forward to reviewing your nominations. For a complete listing of health care organizations currently running the program, please go to DAISYfoundation.org.
