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The DAISY Foundation stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem, and was formed as a not-for-profit organization by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at the age of 33 of complications of an autoimmune disease. The nursing care he received in the hospital profoundly impacted his family, and they created the foundation to honor Patrick’s memory and thank the incredible nurses who do so much for so many people.

Say thank you to a nurse today by nominating them for a DAISY Award. 

2024 Recipients

Wendy Joe, RN

Wendy is a nurse on the Nephrology Unit and a two-time DAISY® Award winner. Her latest nomination comes from the family of a patient who was transferred to her care from the ICU. They said Wendy immediately welcomed them as if they were family. Through their father’s hospital stay Wendy was there every step of the way- assessing his condition and patiently answering all the family’s questions. They praised her for the safe, compassionate care she provided their father with in a gentle, soft-spoken manner.

“She deserves recognition for her cheerful, positive attitude. She did not hesitate to keep us informed when we couldn’t be at bedside, which made us feel involved in our father’s care.” The nomination said. “She is a blessing to SJRMC, and I know many of her patients feel that way.”

Erica Candelaria, RN

Erica is a nurse in our Pre-operation Unit. She was nominated by a patient who was about to undergo surgery. This patient had interacted with many of our caregivers during his time in the ER, Radiology, OR, ICU, and Medical Unit. While he felt that everyone did an amazing job and was very caring, Erica really stood out to him. “Erica was so thoughtful and caring through the pre-op process. We laughed and joked as we visited. After my procedure she met me when I got back to the room to recover. She was very gentle and made sure I was able to move about the room as needed before I went home,” the patient said.

“I am so thankful to be recognized by my patients because I come in every day and do my best for them,” Erica said.

Chelsea Cresswell, RN

Chelsea is a nurse on the Surgical Unit. She was nominated by one of her patients for the thoughtful and professional care she administered during his stay. The patient said he felt fortunate to be under her care because her treatment is unparalleled. 

“What a wonderful nurse Chelsea is. Her work ethic is paramount to my success and progress,” the patient said in the nomination. “She is well versed and pays attention to detail, discussing the medication ordered and the treatments being administered. You are fortunate to have Chelsea on your team.”

“The Daisy Award is an honor, and I am very blessed to receive this,” Cresswell said. “It reminds me that I am doing a good job. I could not do this without the team I work with. I constantly say teamwork makes the dream work.”

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Connie Grijalva, RN

Connie Grijalva is a nurse on the Medical Unit. She was nominated by a patient’s wife for going above and beyond in her nursing duties, showing care and compassion in the way she tended to and cared for the woman’s husband. 

“She made sure he was comfortable and brought him hot tea with honey and lemon when he was miserable with a cough. She was not only attentive to the patient, but she made sure our family was informed of all aspects of his care. We knew he was in good hands and would be well taken care of even if we weren’t here. She is an amazing nurse and human being!” the nomination said.

“To me, the Daisy Award means doing what’s best for the patient and doing what’s best for my team and letting them know I feel supported by them and I am here to support them as well. My team is amazing. I love my medical team and I couldn’t imagine doing this with anyone else,” Grijalva said.

Alissa Florez, RN

Alissa Florez is an ICU nurse who cared for a patient shortly after an unexpected hospital stay. The family was so grateful to Alissa for providing compassion and comfort to their mother, as well as supporting them through a difficult time. Alissa kept the family updated and was honest about the patient’s prognosis. Once she understood the patient and family’s wishes, she advocated for the patient to be moved to comfort care. “Alissa was so gentle and kind throughout the entire process, but especially during this transition,” the family said in their nomination. “She did what she had to do while giving us our space to say goodbye. Her kindness, compassion and gentleness made a very difficult time a little bit easier.”

Anh Nguyen, RN

Anh Nguyen is a nurse on the Medical Unit who was nominated by a patient for the helpful and compassionate care she provided during the patient’s stay. The patient was especially grateful that Anh addressed concerns and was open to feedback. Anh also ensured the patient understood why certain medications and treatments were being prescribed, and always made sure the patient was comfortable. “I felt the compassion she has for providing quality and effective care,” the patient said in the nomination. “I feel these are great attributes to hold as a nurse that provide a meaningful difference in their patients’ health.”

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Raychel Stiegelmeyer, RN

Raychel is a nurse who works on the Medical and Behavioral Health Units. She has a special gift for connecting with patients. An example of this was during a shift when she cared for an autistic patient. She used therapeutic communication to build trust with the patient, and even sought out advice from the patient’s mother so she could understand the best way to assist this patient.

“She put herself in the mother’s shoes and encouraged her coworkers to do the same,” her manager Vickie Bessey said. “She conveyed to me how important it is for us to care for patients who absolutely cannot care for themselves. 

Raychel also made a big difference when caring for a suicidal patient. She was able to have a meaningful conversation with the patient, and even provided the patient with a journal to use to help manage emotions. The patient was very grateful for the time Raychel spent and could tell she really cares about her patients.  

“My calling is definitely in psychiatric care and being able to put myself in someone else’s shoes when they are in their hardest days,” Stiegelmeyer said. “No matter what, we are here to provide the best care possible for our patients when they are in a vulnerable state.”

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Emmy Vasquez, RN

Emmy Vasquez is an ICU nurse who is dedicated to helping her patients heal. She is also dedicated to helping their family members cope during a difficult time. One family nominated Emmy for the DAISY® Award for the care she provided to their father. He had been in the ICU for several weeks, was very sick, and did not have a good prognosis.  

“Emmy was so invested in my dad getting better that she even came in on her day off to check on him,” the patient’s daughter said. “Having someone take such good care of my dad helped me through that difficult time in my life.”

“Normally patients don’t remember us or see us because they are sedated, but we remember them,” Vasquez said. “In this case, I would come in every morning and we would pray together. I would tell them to stay hopeful, we are going to do our best to get you through this, and he did. It’s very exciting for us to see a patient graduate from the ICU.”

Help us celebrate our nurses for the excellent care they provide. Share your gratitude by nominating a deserving nurse for a DAISY Award at www.sanjuanregional.com/daisy.   

2023 DAISY Recipients

​2022 DAISY Recipients

2021 DAISY Recipients