Haven Place nurse amongst those recognized with DAISY awards

LOCK HAVEN -- Sue Packer, RN, senior assessment coordinator, Haven Place, part of UPMC Senior Communities; Lindsay Derrick, RN, UPMC Home Healthcare of Central Pennsylvania and Family Hospice; and Nick Hults, LPN, Emergency Department, UPMC Wellsboro, were recently recognized as recipients of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Sue was nominated by a co-worker who shared:

"I have worked side by side with Sue for more than 23 years and I can't think of a more worthy candidate for this award. Her personality is one of kindness and compassion for those we care for, those we work with, and her community. Everything comes from the heart. She is always looking out for our residents and staff. Sue is an unselfish Good Samaritan. Ultimately, she makes any environment better and makes each person feel included and special. When she is not working, I sometimes question, "what would Sue do in this situation" because of her experience and kindness. I am better because of her and so are the residents we care for."

Lindsay was nominated by two patient families, one who shared:

"Lindsay was so caring towards our mom and is an expert in her field. She made a diagnosis of our mom's condition and relayed messages about her needs to the doctor. Lindsay was generous with her schedule and was always on time for her appointments. She was awesome in coaching us through our mom's end-of-life journey and was so compassionate. Thank you, Lindsay, for everything."

Nick was nominated by a patient who shared:

"Nick was outstanding when it came to my concerns. He watched out for me and went above and beyond with his care. Nick answered all of my questions and was always there when I needed him. He had a charming personality that warmed my heart."

The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 in California by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 from complications of an auto-immune disease. During his eight-week hospital stay, his family was impressed by the care and compassion his nurses provided, not only to him but to everyone in the family. They created the DAISY Award in his memory to recognize those nurses who make a big difference in the lives of so many people.

UPMC is proud to be a DAISY Award partner. Nurses are nominated by patients, family members of patients, as well as other healthcare professionals. DAISY Awards are presented to nurses at UPMC in North Central Pa. monthly. Each DAISY Award Honoree is given a DAISY Award pin, a certificate of honor and a stone sculpture entitled, A Healer's Touch, handcrafted by a tribe in Zimbabwe. Anyone can nominate a nurse for the award including co-workers, patients, patient family members or physicians. To nominate a nurse, visit UPMC.com/ThankaNurse.