ST. MARYS – Kyle Timmerman of Joint Township District Memorial Hospital was recently honored with The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

The nomination submitted read: “My Dad was admitted through the ER for pneumonia. He has dementia and had entered the memory care unit of a local nursing home within the week, and they had sent him out for behavioral issues. It turned out he was sick as well. Dad had a hospital stay at another location in the weeks before, and it had probably precipitated his needing more care…many things were wrong during that stay and he wasn’t treated very well. My mom and I were hesitant about this stay because of this and expressed our concerns to Kyle who took notes about meds, behavior issues, our concerns, and the situation including past problems we suspected caused Dad to have trouble. He was extremely reassuring and thorough. Unlike others we have sometimes encountered, Kyle acted as if he wanted and appreciated our information and treated us like we were part of Dad’s care team. We felt very confident in him and were grateful for how helpful he was. The next morning, I called in and was assured that things were getting figured out and that Dad had received good care. He even noted and told me how intelligent he is, which is so true but not always how a dementia patient is treated. I am positive that Kyle’s demeanor and attitude towards Dad defined his hospital experience this time. Kyle did an outstanding job with our family and deserves for someone to recognize him for it.”

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at [hospital] are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

Said Chief Nursing Officer Lana Hinders, “JTDMH is so proud to offer the DAISY award to Kyle. He has been a two-time nominee for the extraordinary compassion he provides during patient care. Kyle’s patient feedback reflects it is often his small acts of kindness that are the most remembered acts of his care. I could not be happier that the DAISY Committee selected him as our DAISY honoree. We are truly blessed that this patient and family chose to communicate their gratitude for Kyle’s care, and in doing so, helped remind Kyle and really all of our nurses of the profound impact they have on patients and families.”

More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.