Suesan Tracy, Outpatient RN

Suesan exemplifies the mission, vision, and ICARE values of the VA through her unwavering dedication, clinical excellence, and compassionate advocacy for Veterans. Over more than 16 years of service at the VA and at the Sy Kaplan Palm Desert VA Outpatient Clinic in Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI), she has consistently gone above and beyond to ensure that Veterans receive safe, timely, and patient-centered mental health care.

One recent situation clearly illustrates how she meets the DAISY Award criteria. A Veteran with significant mental health needs and high suicide risk was in the process of transferring care from another facility, and there were serious concerns about how his risk factors were being managed in the community and how his care was being coordinated during the transition.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, she devoted hours to advocating for this Veteran’s safety and continuity of care. She raised concerns through appropriate channels to address broader systemic issues with community-related services, coordinated closely with Suicide Prevention staff to ensure that essential risk markers and safety information were clearly documented in the Veteran’s chart, and facilitated communication among the VA Loma Linda care team.

Through her persistence, professionalism, and advocacy, she helped ensure that this high-risk Veteran did not “fall through the cracks” and led efforts for his care to be better aligned, safer, and more responsive to his needs.

Suesan's day-to-day practice and her response in critical situations clearly demonstrate the qualities celebrated by the DAISY Award: outstanding clinical skill, compassionate care, collaborative teamwork, and a profound commitment to the well-being of Veterans and their families. Her work at the Sy Kaplan Palm Desert VA Outpatient Clinic is a powerful reflection of the VA’s ICARE values and makes her highly deserving of this recognition.