Two nurses at the Community Health Center of Branch County were recently honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award presented in collaboration with the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform everyday.

Marion Labadie, RN and Katrina Young, RN were the recipients of the award.Marionis the Nurse Director of the Emergency Room at CHC and Katrina is a nurse in the ER. According to one of her nominators, “Mariongoes far above and beyond when caring for her patients and has so much compassion, always making the patient and family more at ease.” Another one ofMarion’s nominators said, “Marionis a team member, in the trenches with her nurses and co-workers. She values her employees and tries to increase the level of care and compassion to her co-workers.” Katrina has been nominated for the award three times. She was nominated by both her peers and patients. Patients nominated her for the care and compassion she provides. Many of Katrina’s peers said, “Katrina has key nursing skills” and “She is very efficient in the way she provides care.”

A nurse is selected by CHC nursing administration to receive the DAISY Award. At a presentation given in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors, the honoree receives 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 is also given a special sculpture called a Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe inAfrica.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. 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. 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.

Bonnie Barnes, President and Co-Founder of the DAISY Foundation said, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide acutely ill patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at the Community Health Center of Branch County are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of the DAISY Award.”

Chief Clinical Officer at CHC, Mary Rose said, “We are proud to be among the hospitals participating in the DAISY Award program. Nurses are heroes everyday. It’s important that our nurses know their work is highly valued, and the DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.”

The Community Health Center of Branch County is a non-profit acute care hospital providing access to safe, comprehensive, high quality healthcare services and accredited by The Joint Commission.  For more information about CHC, please call the CHC Marketing Department at 517-279-5008 or visit the CHC website at www.chcbc.com or health website at myhealth.chcbc.com.