Amber Donahue is the July DAISY Award Winner!

A program to recognize the care and compassion of extraordinary nurses continues at UHS with Amber Donahue, RN, CVICU, UHS Wilson Medical Center, being named the July winner of the DAISY Award! Amber was recognized and presented with the award for the achievement, and enjoyed cinnamon rolls, a symbolic treat in honor of Patrick Barnes, whose experience inspired the award. 

“Amber is one to respond quickly to rapid responses, massive transfusion protocols and CPRs, and is willing to take other assignments and shifts to help the unit provide the safest patient care,” said Marlo Francisco, RN, BSN, nurse manager of the unit.  “I am thankful to have this energetic employee call CVICU home.”

Amber was nominated by a patient she cared for in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit. After a few syncope fainting spells, Gary Beattie arrived by ambulance to UHS Wilson Medical Center's Emergency Department for a temporary pacemaker. While awaiting his procedure, Gary's heart stopped for 10 seconds and Amber came racing in and applied CPR to save Gary. His heart started again quickly and then Amber immediately phoned the Response Team for him. Later that evening, as her shift was ending, Amber came by special to check on Gary, wish him a Happy Father's Day as Sunday was her day off and helped him complete some outdated paperwork. Then, even though her shift had ended, she returned a final time with two other nurses who had cared for Gary so that he could take a souvenir photo to remember his stay at UHS.

"Now that I am home and reflect back on my experience, I am lucky to be alive today. I am eternally grateful to my provider, Danielle Johnson, FNP-C, who fortunately recognized the severity of my health problem and forced me to go to the hospital for treatment." said Gary Beattie. "I am grateful to the wonderful staff who cared for me, and especially one person in particular, Nurse Amber, who befriended me and saved my life."

Amber is a second-generation UHS employee.  Her mother, Amy Donahue, also works in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit.  In addition, Amber’s twin sister Ashley Donahue graduated with her from the UHS Nursing Residency Program and is an intensive care nurse at UHS.

The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem) Award is an international recognition program that honors and celebrates the skillful, compassionate care nurses provide every day. The DAISY Foundation was established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes after he died from complications of the auto-immune disease ITP in 1999. During his hospitalization, the family members deeply appreciated the care and compassion shown to Patrick and his loved ones. When he died, they felt compelled to say “thank you” to nurses in a very public way. To learn more, visit DAISYFoundation.org. 

Started at UHS in April, nurses are nominated by anyone in the organization - patients, family members, other nurses, physicians, other clinicians and staff - anyone who experiences or observes extraordinary care being provided by a nurse.

Nominations are submitted by using a form found on NYUHS.org. On this form, the person will be able to tell the story of why they are nominating the nurse, while also choosing which UHS Value (Compassion, Trust, Respect, Teamwork, Innovation) the nurse displayed.

If you have any questions, please contact Toni Nash at (607) 763-6896 or send an email to daisy@nyuhs.org.