The April DAISY Award Winner is Rachel Fritzsch!

A program to recognize the care and compassion of extraordinary nurses continues at UHS with Rachel Fritzsch, RN, being named the April winner of the DAISY Award! Rachel 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. 

The UHS Wilson Medical Center South Tower 4 nurse was nominated by Emily Bulman, the daughter of a patient Rachel cared for through the end of his life. In her nomination letter, Emily spoke about her father's hospital stay being some of the hardest, most pain-filled days of  their lives and how Rachel helped them get through it with her calm communication style, empathy, impeccable attention to detail and problem-solving skills. Her father felt comfortable under Rachel's care and even admitted on an occasion that she was his "go-to person on the floor", even joking that ‘she was his boss’.

"Each and every interaction became more and more evident that Rachel is a very special person. At times towards the end of my dad's life, I was struggling to make sense of all that was happening. We were nearing the end, and I was upset and crying. She always just seemed to know the right thing to say to make me feel a little better." said Emily, "I highly recommend Rachel for the DAISY Award. She exudes all the qualities of an "Extraordinary Nurse," and I hope she can be recognized for her hard work and 'extra special way' she has with her patients and families. Thanks to her, my entire family came away from our experience at UHS knowing that my father received the best care possible until the very end."

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 the Seattle man 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 2021, 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.