Ann Alvarez

Ann Alvarez, RN, BSN (BMT) is the latest winner of The DAISY Award at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Her Award was announced in a surprise ceremony on Jan. 12.

Surrounded by friends and co-workers, Alvarez accepted her award with customary grace and modesty. Her husband was on hand for the festivities, having been sneaked into the unit to surprise his unsuspecting wife.

Alvarez now joins the elite group of 75 fellow DAISY nurses to be honored at CHLA since the program began nearly a decade ago.

Alvarez’s nomination was particularly meaningful because it came from the parent of one of her patients. This parent wrote in glowing terms about the care that Ann provided for her son:

“This has been a difficult process for our family, as you all know. One of the best things that happened here at this hospital is Ann Alvarez. She is one of the most encouraging, supportive, nurturing and engaging nurses I have met here. Her mere presents are that of a leader, a person willing to go the extra mile.

“She has such an inviting but firm way of helping my son to push himself into healing. It’s a pleasure to watch her work her magic. When my son gets depressed and starts to shut down, Ann begins to find ways to bring him out of this stage. This is even with her very busy schedule [that] she makes time for him. She’s a Champion in her field of work and for that I’m grateful. I have met some great nurses, however, she’s the best by far to ME.

“I feel she is very clear and consistent with her reports about [my son’s] status while sharing the updates with me. She takes her time to make sure I understand what’s really going on with my son. If something changes she calls me to keep me posted on his needs. Because of the relationship with her, I feel my boy is in excellent hands with the BMT team.”