Our most recent DAISY Award winner is Kimberly Reardon!

A program to recognize the care and compassion of extraordinary nurses continues at UHS with Kimberly Reardon, BSN, RN, UHS Wilson Medical Center Intensive Care Unit (ICU), being named the May winner of the DAISY Award! Kimberly 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 ICU nurse was nominated by the wife of a patient she cared for. In the nomination letter, the patient's wife spoke about how kind and professional Kim was and how she not only treated her husband but also her family with compassion. After the nominator's husband fell and a clot was discovered, the family spent the next couple of weeks going through some scary circumstances to get the ICU patient better. Throughout that time, Kim was constantly a calming presence for the family, advocating for the patient and making sure he was receiving the best care possible. While the family was thankful for everyone in the ICU for the wonderful care they received, they felt Kim needed to be recognized, not only for being a stellar nurse, but also being a stellar human. 

"Her kindness and professionalism were stellar. She treated my husband for sure, but she also treated our family. We were on an emotional roller coaster, and Kim took the time to answer question after question for us, " said the nominating family member. "She treated us not just as visitors to her patient but as a part of the patient himself. Her compassion and caring go above and beyond, and she does your hospital proud."

Thank you to Kimberly for displaying such Compassion and Respect to your patients and their families, a stellar example of our team living "The UHS Way!"

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.