December 2025 Honoree
Emergency Department Team St Marys
Lauryn Gore, RN • Shelby Jones, RN • Tim Tanner, RN • Cortney Watson, RN • Courtney Freeman, RN • Jessica Bowden, RN • Madison Haney, RN • Sydney Keaton, RN • Shelby Muncy, RN • Crissy Nordin, RN • Kelsey Lytle, RN • Rebecca Swatzel, RN • Sarah Avey, RN • Erin Emerson, RN • Carey Laffoon, RN • Shannon McGuire, RN • Jennifer Williamson, RN • Talia Beavers, RN • Colby Yuill, RN • Emmie Kennamore, RN • Carlee Minyard, RN • Jennifer Blevins, RN • Brian Coleman, RN • Mike Emerson, RN • Sarah Hessman, RN • Ambar Diaz, RN • Kaitlyn Stewart, RN • Jordan Toliver, RN • Jennifer Mateo, RN • Garry Collins, EDT • Michelle Garrison, EDT • Rhonda Holiday, EDT • Becky Gray, EDT • Austin Williams, EDT • Mariana Sharp, EDT • Daniel Nelson, EDT • Makenzie Derryberry, EDT • Teegan Mulder, EDT • Maci Ellis, EDT
It is with great honor that I nominate the Saint Mary’s Emergency Department for the DAISY Team Award. Most patients who stay in our hospital are first greeted by this team of nurses and techs, who begin their plan of care immediately. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of sitting in the department for even five minutes, you will have a new heart of gratitude for what this team sees, hears, and does.
While taking care of a cut finger, the radio from local EMS comes over the speaker, urgent respiratory distress. They maintain their poise, continue to care for the cut finger, making that patient feel that they have their full attention, all while their minds are preparing for what is coming in the door. When they hear the ambulance backing in, they step away and let the other patients know that they will soon return.
In harmony, a group of staff appears in this patient’s trauma room. The patient is rapidly declining; they intubate and may possibly even begin to perform CPR. Once an established team is set, others go back to managing the patients they had prior to the arrival of the higher acuity patient. They give their other patients the same care and attention as if nothing had just happened, or they saw nothing. This is just a 4-to-5-minute glimpse into their days.
Patients’ families report nurses playing tag with young patients in the department to get the young patient to laugh, all while shooting each other with saline flushes like water guns. Scared and unsure of what was happening to them, the ED team provided them with a place of hope and joy, even during possibly the scariest time. When other teams in the hospital need some extra hands, they go. With their plates full and often heavy, they still manage to care for those who work alongside them, providing care in our facility. They are like the coach on the sidelines of a team. You may see them on the sidelines just waiting to help give some motivation or waiting for the queue to lend a hand. Even on your hardest days, you never give up. They are always there. To the team that never says no, or it's too much, thank you. Thank you for being there day in and day out for our community and hospital team. We are lucky to have a team that our patients can count on!
While taking care of a cut finger, the radio from local EMS comes over the speaker, urgent respiratory distress. They maintain their poise, continue to care for the cut finger, making that patient feel that they have their full attention, all while their minds are preparing for what is coming in the door. When they hear the ambulance backing in, they step away and let the other patients know that they will soon return.
In harmony, a group of staff appears in this patient’s trauma room. The patient is rapidly declining; they intubate and may possibly even begin to perform CPR. Once an established team is set, others go back to managing the patients they had prior to the arrival of the higher acuity patient. They give their other patients the same care and attention as if nothing had just happened, or they saw nothing. This is just a 4-to-5-minute glimpse into their days.
Patients’ families report nurses playing tag with young patients in the department to get the young patient to laugh, all while shooting each other with saline flushes like water guns. Scared and unsure of what was happening to them, the ED team provided them with a place of hope and joy, even during possibly the scariest time. When other teams in the hospital need some extra hands, they go. With their plates full and often heavy, they still manage to care for those who work alongside them, providing care in our facility. They are like the coach on the sidelines of a team. You may see them on the sidelines just waiting to help give some motivation or waiting for the queue to lend a hand. Even on your hardest days, you never give up. They are always there. To the team that never says no, or it's too much, thank you. Thank you for being there day in and day out for our community and hospital team. We are lucky to have a team that our patients can count on!
Thank you for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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