— Submitted photo. Nominees for the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Van Diest Medical Center gathered Tuesday afternoon for the announcement of the 2023 recipient. Pictured are (front row, from left to right) CEO Lisa Ridge, Kelli Elliott, Jaclyn Loux, Julie Thompson, the 2023 recipient, Robin Meyer, Christina Peterson and Chief Nursing Officer Amy McDonough; back row, Sam Landreth, Brian Gray, Robin Seiser, Cindi Sinclair and Wally Ubben. Emily Maines and Richard Jacobson were not present for the photo.

By ANNE BLANKENSHIP

Special to the Daily Freeman-Journal

A nurse at Van Diest Medical Center who helped a little boy overcome his fear and anxiety before surgery was named the 2023 recipient of the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Julie Thompson, RN, was selected for the award and was presented with a certificate, a bouquet of daisies and a figurine to commemorate the honor. The award ceremony was held in the courtyard of Van Diest Medical Center Tuesday afternoon.

Lisa Ridge, chief executive officer of VDMC, welcomed those in attendance and offered congratulations to all of the nominees.

“The Daisy Award recognizes the super-human work nurses do for their patients and families every day wherever they practice, in whatever role they serve and throughout their careers,” Ridge said.

“This year, Van Diest Medical Center and Van Diest Family Health Clinics have 12 nominations for the Daisy Award. We thank all of our worthy nominees, along with the dozens of other nurses in our organization and across the world who provide exceptional, compassionate care,” she said.

VDMC Chief Nursing Officer Amy McDonough gave a brief history of the Daisy Award.

The Daisy foundation was established by the family of Patrick Barnes, a patient who died of complications of an auto-immune disease. The Daisy Foundation was a way for his family to honor the extraordinary care that Barnes received from his nurses.

“What started as a thank you to nurses from the Barnes family has turned into a meaningful recognition program embraced by healthcare organizations all around the world,” McDonough said. “We are very proud to partner with Daisy as we have extraordinary nurses here at Van Diest Medical Center.”

McDonough also read portions of each nomination.

Thompson was nominated by Alexx Wilkerson who brought her 5-year-old son Keaton to VDMC for an outpatient surgery.

“He was extremely nervous, and I was mentally prepared to console him, both before and after the procedure. He was visibly shaking in the car,” she said.

But that all changed when Keaton met his nurse.

“She made sure Keaton felt heard and respected. As much as she made sure that I was aware of the process, she also prioritized making sure Keaton was comfortable and involved in his care,” Wilkerson said.

“Julie is a person who embodies love, home and acceptance,” she wrote in her nomination. “She radiates such positivity and warmth that it is impossible to not feel at ease in her presence. We walked into your medical center nervous to be around strangers at a vulnerable time. Yet we ended up walking out feeling like we just spent time with family.”

Wilkerson, who has worked in healthcare herself, said, “Nurses like Julie are extremely rare, and she deserves to be celebrated.”

“I’m overwhelmed and honored by all of this,” Thompson said. “I’m very blessed.”

The nurses nominated for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, included Thompson, a nurse in the surgery department; Christina Peterson, RN, emergency department; Robin Seiser, RN, emergency department; Kelli Elliott, RN, emergency department; Cindi Sinclair, RN, emergency department; Brian Gray, RN, nursing services; Emily Maines, RN, nursing services; Wally Ubben, RN, nursing services; Jaclyn Loux, RN, nursing services; Robin Meyer, RN, surgery department; Sam Landreth, RN, Van Diest Family Health Clinic; and Richard Jacobson, DNP, CRNA, ARNP, pain management. Each received a certificate and a pin.

Also surprising Thompson at the ceremony were her two daughters, Amanda Thompson and Bethany Thompson, and her mother, Gelene Stevens.