The DAISY Award and The BEE Award

The DAISY Award

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established by his family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died in late 1999 at the age of 33 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) 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. 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 BEE Award

Littleton Regional Healthcare has launched another recognition opportunity – The BEE Award. BEE stands for Being Extraordinary Every day. While The DAISY Award is reserved for Registered Nurses specifically, The BEE Award is open to any care team member. It is symbolic in the fact that bees are fundamentally crucial to a daisy’s ability to thrive. Both The DAISY and BEE Awards are presented quarterly, and each honoree is selected from nominations received by patients, community members, and colleagues.

“We always promote our staff as our greatest asset because it’s true,” noted Koren Superchi, RN, MSN, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer at LRH. “They are the driving force that supports our ability to provide the high-quality care this region depends on. ” We quickly seize any opportunity that allows us to recognize their important work and highlight how valued they are,” she added.

DAISY & BEE Award Honorees

LRH's DAISY Award Honoree, Patricia Ward-Roberts, RN!

Join us in recognizing our most recent recipient of The DAISY Award – Patricia Ward-Roberts, RN!

Please join us in celebrating our most recent DAISY Award Honoree – Patricia Ward-Roberts, RN!

Earlier this week, members of Nursing Leadership and Administration came together in our Oncology, Infusion, & Hematology Center to celebrate Pat and present her with the award and all that comes with it.

Pat was nominated by a member of the community and a long-time LRH Volunteer who is currently undergoing twice-weekly chemotherapy treatments. In the write-up, the patient explained that Pat goes above and beyond during every visit. She takes her time, answers every question with a thoughtful and clear response, and does what she can to make every treatment as comfortable as possible. “Totally professional and always with a smile,” the patient said to describe her.

This Award is well-deserved. We see first-hand how dedicated and passionate she is, and it is our honor to recognize her in this manner.

Past DAISY Honorees:

LRH's BEE Award Honoree, Michael Rhodes, MD!

Join us in recognizing the most recent recipient of The BEE Award – Michael Rhodes, MD!

The BEE Award for Exceptional Caregivers was established to complement our DAISY Award, which is specific to nursing. Standing for “Being Extraordinary Every Day,” any care team member can be nominated for and receive The BEE Award. Both the DAISY and BEE Awards are presented quarterly, and nominations are accepted from patients, community members, and LRH personnel.

Dr. Rhodes is one of our Hospitalists at LRH. Hospital Medicine is a very important yet often unheard-of medical specialty. Hospitalists are physicians who have dedicated their careers to hospitalized patients. They are responsible for a patient’s in-hospital care, caring for our sickest patients most times.

In the nomination, Melody explained that Dr. Rhodes cared for her terminally ill husband, Stephen, earlier this year. Dr. Rhodes did what he could, given the multiple difficult diagnoses Stephen and his family were facing. Ultimately, Dr. Rhodes was successful in getting Stephen transferred to a higher care setting, but unfortunately, Stephen succumbed to illness and passed away in late May.

Melody credits the extra three months Stephen’s family had with him to Dr. Rhodes’ diligent efforts. It was in those three months that Stephen was able to meet his first grandchild. Melody also noted how compassionate Dr. Rhodes was the entire time, given the circumstances. He advocated for the family and helped educate them on the conditions Stephen was battling.

Our hearts go out to Melody and her entire family for the loss of Stephen. We really appreciate her sharing her experience with Dr. Rhodes and submitting the nomination so he can be recognized. Given his line of work, it is likely that Dr. Rhodes has played a similar role for other families in our community. We were honored that Melody was able to attend the award presentation when Dr. Rhodes was recognized.

Past BEE Honorees: