May 2026 Honoree
Heidi Michalek, Staff Nurse II
I am writing to recognize RN Heidi Michalek for the exceptional care she provided to our daughter during our visit to the Emergency Department.
Our family has unfortunately had several ER visits over the past year, and we have encountered many wonderful nurses, but Heidi stood out as truly extraordinary and provided the best nursing care we have experienced.
From the moment she took over our daughter's care, Heidi was attentive, proactive, and compassionate. She was in constant communication with us, keeping us informed every step of the way and ensuring nothing was overlooked.
What impressed us most was that Heidi thought outside the box. Before the chest and abdominal X-ray results had even come back, she was the first to suggest that her symptoms could be related to a lung issue or aspiration. She advocated for additional evaluation and fought to have the pediatric doctor come down to assess her in person. Because of Heidi's persistence and advocacy, additional testing was ordered, including a full viral panel run from the swab originally collected for RSV, COVID, and flu testing. That expanded testing ultimately informed us today of what is truly going on and helped provide answers we otherwise may not have received as quickly.
Heidi was also incredibly vigilant about our daughter's breathing and oxygen levels. She closely monitored her pulse oximeter readings and quickly responded when her oxygen saturation dipped, even bringing in towels to help prop her up and improve her breathing. She remained calm, thoughtful, and always present. She also assisted with difficult tasks such as her catheter urine collection with professionalism and compassion.
What meant so much to us personally was that Heidi took the time to understand our daughter's rare diagnosis, SOX2 disorder, and to understand what is really going on with her medically and developmentally. That level of curiosity, empathy, and commitment to truly seeing the whole child not just the immediate symptoms was above and beyond anything we could have expected.
The biggest thing that stood out to us was that Heidi never stopped thinking critically and advocating for our daughter. She combined clinical excellence with warmth and empathy in a way that brought us comfort during a very stressful and scary time.
We are deeply grateful for Heidi Michalek and the exceptional care she provided. She is exactly the kind of nurse who deserves recognition through the DAISY Award, and we wanted to make sure her leadership team knows the impact she had on our family.
Our family has unfortunately had several ER visits over the past year, and we have encountered many wonderful nurses, but Heidi stood out as truly extraordinary and provided the best nursing care we have experienced.
From the moment she took over our daughter's care, Heidi was attentive, proactive, and compassionate. She was in constant communication with us, keeping us informed every step of the way and ensuring nothing was overlooked.
What impressed us most was that Heidi thought outside the box. Before the chest and abdominal X-ray results had even come back, she was the first to suggest that her symptoms could be related to a lung issue or aspiration. She advocated for additional evaluation and fought to have the pediatric doctor come down to assess her in person. Because of Heidi's persistence and advocacy, additional testing was ordered, including a full viral panel run from the swab originally collected for RSV, COVID, and flu testing. That expanded testing ultimately informed us today of what is truly going on and helped provide answers we otherwise may not have received as quickly.
Heidi was also incredibly vigilant about our daughter's breathing and oxygen levels. She closely monitored her pulse oximeter readings and quickly responded when her oxygen saturation dipped, even bringing in towels to help prop her up and improve her breathing. She remained calm, thoughtful, and always present. She also assisted with difficult tasks such as her catheter urine collection with professionalism and compassion.
What meant so much to us personally was that Heidi took the time to understand our daughter's rare diagnosis, SOX2 disorder, and to understand what is really going on with her medically and developmentally. That level of curiosity, empathy, and commitment to truly seeing the whole child not just the immediate symptoms was above and beyond anything we could have expected.
The biggest thing that stood out to us was that Heidi never stopped thinking critically and advocating for our daughter. She combined clinical excellence with warmth and empathy in a way that brought us comfort during a very stressful and scary time.
We are deeply grateful for Heidi Michalek and the exceptional care she provided. She is exactly the kind of nurse who deserves recognition through the DAISY Award, and we wanted to make sure her leadership team knows the impact she had on our family.
Thank you, Heidi, for your exceptional compassion, advocacy, and dedication to your patients. You truly make a difference.
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