OSF HealthCare St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group has awarded two honorees for the ‘Thank a Caregiver’ program.
The program includes the international DAISY Award that recognizes the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care of nurses and the Sunflower Award, which recognizes non-nursing staff for their extraordinary care and compassion for patients. This quarter’s awards were given to Terra Ison, RN (DAISY Award) and Jaime McCarthy, PT (Sunflower Award).
Terra has been with OSF HealthCare for 18 years, spending her first 10 years in the medical/surgical unit and the last eight as a registered nurse in the emergency department. She was one of 43 nominees for the Daisy Award this quarter. “We truly appreciate the compassionate, merciful care that our nurses perform every day and the Daisy Award is one way to recognize these dedicated individuals,” said Joy Hopkins, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Patient Care Services at OSF St. Francis Hospital.
Terra was recognized for her kindness and compassion that went beyond her shift in the ER.
After working a 12 hour day, Terra was on her way home to her family. She noticed a young man waving his hands on the side of the road. She immediately stopped and asked how she could help. The boy explained his father needed help. She rushed over to the man who needed medical assistance while the boy was on the phone with 911. Realizing the man was not breathing, she immediately began compressions while emergency responders were on their way and the man began breathing again. EMS and Public Safety arrived shortly after and took over his care. The man’s son, Evert – was especially grateful that Terra stopped, as many people in front of her had not.
Jaime McCarthy, PT, who joined OSF Rehabilitation nearly three years ago was among 19 nominations for the Sunflower Award. One of Jaime’s patients nominated her, noting that she had been the answer to the pain that had haunted her for years. She said Jaime took the time to listen, which led to her diagnoses and treatment. She was especially grateful for Jaime’s compassion, dedication and attention to detail and shared that she is well on her way to a full recovery.
“The Sunflower award is such a wonderful opportunity to recognize our non-nursing staff for the exceptional care they provide to our patients. It allows for patients to recognize the Mission Partner who provided a maintenance service that helped make their hospital visit more comfortable; the Mission Partner that served them a meal with a smile and uplifting conversation each day; or the Mission Partner like Jaime – who paved their road to recovery through physical therapy,” said Lindsey Stearns, community relations specialist at OSF St. Francis.
An award ceremony was held to celebrate with the honorees, their co-workers, managers and administrative team.
“The work of our employees goes beyond providing health care to patients. They’re often providing comfort, compassion, and a listening ear. I see it each and every day and am proud to see the Sister’s Mission in action. The nominations from patients act as a great reminder that staff from all departments are making a positive impact on those we serve,” said Dave Lord, President of OSF St. Francis Hospital.
If you would like to nominate an employee from OSF HealthCare St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group for special recognition of extraordinary care, please visit https://www.osfhealthcare.org/st-francis/amenities/thank-caregiver/
