Nurses at Ephraim McDowell Commonwealth Cancer Center were recently honored with The DAISY Team Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day. 

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses has been adopted by healthcare facilities around the world to celebrate nurses for their extraordinary care and compassion. The DAISY Team Award is for nurse-led teams of two or more who come together to solve a specific situation by going above and beyond. Nursing teams may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues, and they are chosen by a committee of nurses at Ephraim McDowell Health to receive The DAISY Team Award. The DAISY Team Award is presented once each year at a surprise presentation. Each member of the Nursing Team receives a certificate commending them for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference your teamwork makes in the lives of so many people.” The Team also receives a specially engraved plaque with the name of the Team.  

Ephraim McDowell Commonwealth Cancer Center nurses were nominated by their clinic manager who said, “This team has faced a series of significant obstacles that would have tested even the most seasoned professionals. Both permanent physicians departed at the same time, leaving the center without a primary physician and creating a major gap in continuity of care. Despite this uncertainty, the nursing staff remained steadfast in their mission to provide compassionate, high-quality care to every patient. During this transition, another doctor from Somerset generously stepped in whenever he was available, alongside support from several locum physicians. In total, the nursing staff adapted to working with nine different providers over the course of a single year. Each provider brought unique approaches to care, requiring the nurses to continuously adjust, learn new preferences, and maintain seamless coordination—all while ensuring that patients experienced consistency and reassurance. Tragically, the doctor from Somerset passed away unexpectedly, adding emotional strain to an already difficult time. Despite this loss, the nurses continued to support one another and their patients with professionalism and compassion.

In addition to these staffing challenges, the team also navigated a transition to a new electronic medical record (EMR) system—an undertaking that proved to be far from easy. Learning and adapting to a new system while managing an already complex clinical environment required patience, flexibility, and an extraordinary level of teamwork. Today, the center has welcomed three permanent providers and two nurse practitioners, bringing much-needed stability. Throughout every transition, uncertainty, and hardship, the nursing staff has remained the constant foundation of care. They have shown remarkable resilience, adaptability, and dedication—not only to their patients, but to each other. Their ability to persevere, maintain excellence, and provide compassionate care in the face of ongoing challenges exemplifies the true spirit of the DAISY Award. It is with great respect and admiration that I nominate them for this well-deserved recognition.”

Nomination forms for the DAISY Award are available at various locations throughout Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center, Ephraim McDowell Fort Logan Hospital, Ephraim McDowell James B. Haggin Hospital and other Ephraim McDowell facilities.