We would like to nominate Mandy Penzes from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as a deserving recipient of the DAISY Award.

In February we gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. As the sun broke the horizon that morning, it lit up the snow-covered mountains to the west as temperatures struggled to reach zero degrees. This day was proving to be a day to remember by the birth of our child and a landscape that is difficult to forget. However, little did we know, the journey our daughter would fight to overcome and the genuine care she received would remain in our hearts for the rest of our lives.

Two weeks defines the total time our daughter spent in your care. Throughout that time, our new family of three met an inspirational team we will remember forever. Though many provided exceptional care, Mandy in particular stands out for her wholehearted, consistent, and loving care that she provided as our daughter's nurse. Here is why she is highly qualified and a deserving recipient of the DAISY Award.

Demonstrates caring and compassion:

In little ways and in big ways, Mandy went above and beyond. Our daughter always had "special linens." These were not the traditional foot print blankets, they were "special linens" found in the unit. These linens were cheerful, girly, and always pink. Mandy was the only nurse who took the extra time to doll up our daughter's world. Though the traditional blankets were fine, these simple touches added a sense of normality and lit up her stay. Following night care, notes were always left on the room board. These notes celebrated each of our daughter's little victories that we may have missed. We are so grateful that she cared enough to include us. While Mandy took care of our daughter, she always talked to her. Even though our daughter couldn't respond or react in the slightest way, it touched our hearts to hear the kid words she would share and the belief she had in her. On the nights that her assignment changed to a different pod, Mandy visited to check in on how we were doing as well as our daughter. This demonstrated that as her parents, our feelings and well-being was taken into consideration during this difficult time. It also demonstrated how much she cared about our daughter. This was extremely comforting. Mandy genuinely cared and was always compassionate.

Exemplifies Children's Hospital Colorado Mission and Values:

Children's Hospital Colorado's mission is to improve the health of children through the provision of high-quality, coordinated programs of patient care, education, research and advocacy. Mandy successfully exemplified this mission and value system. She delivered care with great confidence but always in a humble manner. This gained our trust from the very beginning. This helped us to feel comfortable. Our daughter was on numerous medications, advanced life supports, and was receiving the Olympic Cooling Cap treatment for her brain. We had complete trust in her education and previous medical practice while she administered her medicine, regulated her pressures, and monitored her Cooling Cap. Mandy was an influential advocate for our daughter. When she felt our daughter was ready to wean off medications or make even greater steps like eating, Mandy took the initiative. She discussed necessary decisions with the nurse practitioners or physicians to continue to improve the quality of our daughter's life. Mandy is a great example of the mission and value system being utilized by an employee.

Delivers exceptional family centered care:

We were a team. During all of our daughter's cares, Mandy included us. Whether it was simply giving her milk on a swab or taking our questions to the attending physician, she respected our family as an integral part of our daughter's health care team. Mandy worked to ensure that our daughter was receiving the highest quality of health care by creating a partnership. She actively listened and provided accurate information in return. Mandy did an excellent job creating a health care team by including us.

Exhibits outstanding customer service skills:

We have great customer satisfaction in Mandy's service skills. When we think of outstanding customer service skills, we think of the following: friendly, attentive, available, strong communicator, positive, respectful, organized, and patient. Mandy demonstrated all of these. Mandy has a vibrant personality that is warm and friendly. She is welcoming and easy to connect with because of her friendly mannerism, positivity, and communication skills. She maintained eye contact and never rushed our conversations. Mandy respected our privacy but was always available if we had questions or concerns. These skills made a difference in the experience we had. She understands the importance of using customer service skills within the medical field.

Models excellent interpersonal skills:

Upon arriving to the "I" pod, we were greeted in the most professional and considerate manner followed by an update of our daughters continued progress. These updates were clear and precise. She actively listened to our questions and concerns and answered them respectively. Mandy was in tune to our emotions and responded appropriately. She demonstrated excellent responsibility by following her words through with actions. Mandy has a wonderful repertoire of interpersonal skills allowing her to handle all situations with beautiful grace.

Has a positive attitude:

Always! Mandy loves her job and loves each of the young lives she cares for. Her smile lit up our daughter's room and was contagious. During such a scary time, her positivity helped us to stay strong and focus on all of the wonderful things our daughter was showing us in her small ways. The notes that she left were filled with positivity and love. Her cares were provided with great joy and passion. Her positivity extended to the nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians that she worked with. One of Mandy's strongest attributes is positivity.

Collaborates with healthcare team members;

Mandy was an outgoing, positive, respectful team member. She always participated actively during the physician rounds. She helped other pod nurses when needed. She treated all healthcare team members with great respect. From the physicians to the environmental team, she always wanted to help. It was clear, that in return she was respected as an influential team member in the NICU.

We are extremely impressed with the care Mandy provide to our family while in the NICU. She truly had a positive influence on our experience and she will remain in our hearts forever.