Danielle McCarthy, Registered Nurse

Danielle McCarthy sees the person behind the patient.

Looking back on a life-changing phone call and her first years as a nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2026 DAISY Award recipient explains why she treats patients like family and believes human connection can never be replaced by AI.

The patient on the line wasn’t sure they needed to come in. They called with concerns about their knee, but weren’t convinced it was serious enough to warrant a visit. Danielle McCarthy listened and asked a few more questions. Something didn’t feel right. She encouraged them to come in for an evaluation.
It turned out to be a severe septic knee infection. The physicians later told her it was one of the worst they had seen. Left untreated, it could have become life-threatening. When the patient recovered, they thanked Danielle for urging them to seek medical attention.
Danielle doesn’t see moments like that as extraordinary. To her, they’re simply part of caring for people. “Every patient has a story,” she said. “Every patient is somebody’s loved one.” That belief has shaped her approach to nursing, earning the SEARHC nurse case manager recognition as a 2026 DAISY Award recipient.
When her husband’s Coast Guard career brought their family to Sitka five years ago, Danielle expected it to be another stop along the way. Instead, it became home.
She quickly discovered that healthcare in Southeast Alaska was unlike anywhere she had worked before. In Maryland, patients came and went. In Sitka, seeing familiar faces out and about in the community is commonplace. You treat them like family “because they are somebody's family,” she said.
Years of providing care, first as an inpatient nurse and now as a nurse case manager, have taught Danielle that a diagnosis rarely tells the whole story.
She remembers caring for someone struggling with addiction. As they talked, she learned it began with pain medication prescribed after surgery in high school. Another patient had become homeless after losing his son in Iraq, his grief consuming every aspect of his life.
“It could be any one of us,” she said. “You hear people’s stories, and they’re just people.”
That lesson traces back to one of Danielle's toughest nursing school professors, a woman students warned each other to avoid. While battling cancer herself, she challenged her class to “never lose sight of the person behind the patient.”
Danielle’s nursing career began at a time when compassion was needed more than ever. She entered the profession as the COVID-19 pandemic began, spending her first two years with SEARHC in the ICU and medical-surgical unit. Eventually, recognizing the emotional toll bedside nursing had taken, she transitioned into orthopedic case management, where she found a new way to serve her community while continuing to build lasting relationships.
Today, Danielle’s work looks different than it did in the ICU. Instead of responding to emergencies, she’s often on the phone answering questions, coordinating appointments, and helping patients feel prepared for their next steps. While the work may look quieter than bedside nursing, “The little things add up,” she said. Whether she’s helping ease pre-surgery anxiety or checking in after discharge, Danielle believes those conversations matter. “Technology can do a lot,” she said. “But it can’t replace human connection.”
It’s not unusual for Danielle to run into former orthopedic patients whom she supported as their nurse case manager. Months or even years later, she'll recognize someone loading groceries into their car, stopping by the post office, out to lunch, or walking their dog. Seeing them get back to the lives they love is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.
In those moments, Danielle is reminded that people are far more than the procedure they underwent or the diagnosis in their chart. They have places to go, plans to look forward to, families to care for, friends to spend time with, dreams they're still chasing, and trails they're eager to hike again.
When asked about receiving the 2026 DAISY Award, Danielle recalled being genuinely surprised. She knew a ceremony was taking place that day but had no idea she was being honored. Even as her manager walked her there, Danielle said she didn’t realize the Award was hers until she heard her name.

Her advice to other nurses is simple: remember why you started. For Danielle, that means leading from the heart, listening closely, and recognizing that every person who comes into her care carries a story of their own.