Nurses receive DAISY Award

Kathy Blon, R.N., of Barnesville Hospital and Rachel Hupp, R.N., of Harrison Community Hospital recently were honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

The award recognizes nurses who demonstrate exceptional compassion and dedication to patients, families and colleagues.

“Our nurses exhibit the WVU Medicine Standards of Behavior — compassion, communication, commitment and competence — with each and every patient and family during their most vulnerable moments,” said Susan Redish, director of nursing for Barnesville Hospital and Harrison Community Hospital. “It is a great honor to recognize Kathy and Rachel with the DAISY Award.”

Blon was nominated by the mother of a patient who was treated in the emergency room for an infected ear piercing.

“Kathy held her hand and explained everything that the doctor was doing,” the mother wrote. “My daughter does not say a lot of nice things about situations like that, but she spoke highly of Kathy and appreciated how great she was.”

Hupp was nominated by a patient.

“I was in the ER this past Saturday night, and Rachel was a fabulous nurse,” the patient wrote. “She was very attentive, caring and very good at her job. She is such a nice person.”

The DAISY Foundation is a nonprofit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. Barnes died at age 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, an autoimmune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.

The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired the foundation’s effort to thank nurses for making a difference in the lives of patients and their families.

Nurses may be nominated by patients, families and colleagues. Award recipients are chosen by a committee at Barnesville Hospital and Harrison Community Hospital through a blind selection process sanctioned by the DAISY Foundation.

To learn more about the DAISY Award, visit daisyfoundation.org/daisy-award/thank-your-nurse-nomination.