SEIRMC honors nurses with Daisy awards

WEST BURLINGTON = Great River Health awarded a second round of DAISY Awards for Extraordinary Nurses®. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. 
The Great River Health DAISY Award recipients are:

• Tiffany Holtkamp is a registered nurse in the Labor and Delivery Unit at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, West Burlington. She was nominated by the husband of a patient who wrote, “This was the first time that my wife and I were delivering our baby here at this hospital. My wife and I had just recently moved to Iowa so that I could take a job here in town and, naturally, we were a bit anxious not knowing this community of health care workers, especially in OB. From the beginning, Tiffany was very helpful, present, and dedicated to our long-term care, even past her designated shift and into the next day when me and my wife were not one of her patients. Tiffany embodies the spirit of health care and the profession of nursing by providing exceptional care, service, passion and sacrifice. My wife stated, "She was a key reason for such a wonderful delivery experience".
• Alana Dennis is a registered nurse in the Emergency Department (ED) at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, West Burlington. Alana cares for patients and their families during some of their worst times. A family member was in the ED with both their spouse and child and had this to say about Alana, “Alana was an angel that night. Her compassion and advice helped me through the worst weekend of my life. Alana cared for all three of us that night. I wasn't even her patient, and she took the time to ask me how I was doing. Alana is an exceptional nurse who can even identify and treat the emotional pain that you cannot see.” A second nomination from a patient reads, “She did not treat me like a number and seemed to understand me. She is also a very funny person who helped ease my anxiety and fears of being in the hospital. Her kindness is something that I haven’t seen it a very long time in the health system- we need more nurses like this one. She deserves a 10/10!!!

The award recipient is chosen by a committee at Great River Health to receive The DAISY Award. Tiffany and Alana were honored at a special Daisy Award ceremony in their department attended by the Honoree’s colleagues, patients, and visitors.  Each Honoree received a certificate commending her as an "Extraordinary Nurse."  The certificate reads: "In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people."  Honorees also received a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. The Great River Health Daisy Award recipients will be featured on the Daisy Foundation website along with recipients from around the world. Videos of the full ceremonies can be viewed on the Great River Health Facebook page.
Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues on an ongoing basis.  The next recipients will be awarded in June.
Great River Health employs over 815 nurses, providing patient care at their Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center - Fort Madison and West Burlington - campuses; along with Henry County Health Center in Mount Pleasant.
More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.