Compassionate care honored with DAISY and BEE Awards

Spectrum Health United Hospital emergency nurses recognized.

GREENVILLE, Mich., September 8, 2021 – Two Spectrum Health United Hospital emergency department nurses have been recognized with DAISY and BEE Awards for their nursing excellence and compassionate care.

Lorraine Yeager, emergency department nurse manager at United Hospital, presented the awards at a ceremony September 7.

Becky Higgs, RN, was honored with a DAISY Award after being nominated by a recent patient.

“I came to the emergency room very distraught and sobbing,” the nomination read. “My nurse Becky was so compassionate and soothing and really helped to calm me down. Along with the doctor, she helped me understand what I was going through and what to expect with my atrial fib. She never became upset with me or acted like I was a problem. I felt very well cared for in this visit.”

Becky Sandborn, nurse technician, was given a BEE Award. She was nominated by Yeager for the kindness she showed another patient.

“Becky was nominated for her compassion and kindness that she showed an ER patient who arrived sick with possible sepsis,” Yeager said. “This patient was non-verbal, and Becky took it upon herself to try to make this patient comfortable, secure her lines, and used comforting measures like a teddy bear to distract the patient. Becky anticipated any care needs and worked closely with the nurse to ensure the patient was well taken care of.”

Higgs and Sandborn received flowers, commemorative pins and plaques during the ceremony.

The DAISY award program was adopted from The DAISY Award, an international program established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. The Barnes family was deeply appreciative of the clinical skills, caring and compassion of the nurses who cared for Patrick, so they created an award to say thank you to nurses everywhere.

United and Kelsey Hospitals have expanded the recognition program to include the BEE award, open to all clinical and non-clinical employees, in addition to nurses.

Nominations are open for any Spectrum Health employee who regularly goes above and beyond in creating a meaningful experience for patients. The awards are given based on nominations from patients, community members and colleagues.

Nomination forms can be found at any Spectrum Health facility or submitted online at: https://www.onlineregistrationcenter.com/UHKHDaisyAwards

About Spectrum Health

Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides care and coverage, comprising 31,000+ team members, 14 hospitals (including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital), a robust network of care facilities, teams of nationally recognized doctors and providers, and the nation’s third-largest provider-sponsored health plan, Priority Health, currently serving over 1 million members across the state of Michigan.

People are at the heart of everything we do. Locally governed and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we are focused on our mission: to improve health, inspire hope and save lives. Spectrum Health has a legacy of strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Through experience, innovation and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness

Contact:
John Norton
Corporate Communications Manager
Office: 231.592.4387
Mobile: 231.580.1079
Email: john.norton@corewellhealth.org