My nomination for the DAISY award is a nurse who has worked tirelessly to blossom into her role, which has been pivotal not only for Southwest Healthcare Services as we navigate through the unchartered waters of healthcare changes but also for those we are privileged to serve every day. It’s impossible to pick just one story…just one life that this nurse has impacted because there are so many. I often think of this nurse as Southwest Healthcare’s little guardian angel because, to her, we guide some of our most medically complex and fragile patients with careful watch.

I have witnessed numerous patients struggle to manage their health on their own, with crises escalating to repeated emergency room visits and hospital stays. Yet after they are connected to a chronic care management program, they go months, sometimes even a year or more, without stepping foot back into the hospital and instead maintain their health conditions with frequent CCM nurse check-ins, a bit of guidance, and clinic visits with their provider. I have also witnessed this nurse take on special projects like Colorectal screening awareness in hopes of sparking inspiration for others because helping just one life would be more than worth her efforts.

As I walked down the hallway in March, admiring the sea of royal blue flags that lined the walls, I wondered if she walked the same corridor, whether she felt a sense of pride as she counted and placed all those flags…each representing a life potentially saved from cancer. And I wonder now if she realizes the magnitude of the impact of her contributions. One of the remarkable things about her is that they extend beyond her wealth of knowledge and compassion for our patients. She demonstrates a level of dedication to our healthcare team that is extraordinary. From offering additional support in the ER and covering open shifts in the hospital and clinic to improving forms and efficiencies and combing through and reporting data to meet the demands of a value-based care system, she is forever at the ready and “wherever you need me” is her mantra.

Thank you, Melani, for your compassion and your dedication to our patients and team. You are an outstanding model of the qualities of a DAISY Honoree.