Thania Santiago
December 2025
Thania
Santiago
,
BSN
Outpatient GI Clinic
VA Loma Linda Healthcare System
Redlands
,
CA
United States
This nurse exemplifies the true meaning of nursing: selflessness, compassion, and unwavering dedication to patient care.
On the Friday evening of Labor Day weekend, this nurse demonstrated extraordinary dedication and compassion when she came in on her day off to respond to a critically ill veteran in urgent need of a liver transplant. Within 30 minutes of receiving a call, she reported to the facility to complete an emergency liver tracer packet—an essential requirement to ensure the veteran’s eligibility for transplant.
This veteran, only 44 years old, was gravely ill with a score of 49 out of 50 on the transplant scale, meaning that any delay in care could have cost him his life. At the time, the patient was admitted to a community hospital that performs liver transplants, making the timely submission of documentation absolutely critical. Despite it being after 5 p.m. on a holiday weekend, she immediately partnered with the nurse manager, who physically located the required hardcopy documents at the ACC. Together at the main facility, they ensured the packet was completed, scanned, and uploaded to the tracer portal without delay.
Emergent tracer packets are few and far between, but when they occur, they are both critical and extremely time sensitive. Unlike routine tracer packets—which can take days or even weeks to assemble—emergent tracers must be completed within hours, requiring flawless coordination and urgency. In this case, she worked directly with the GI liver attending to obtain crucial updates that had occurred just hours earlier and connected with the Community Care Liaison to confirm that all documents were received and submitted that Friday night. She was the only available care coordinator—others had already left for the holiday weekend—and, importantly, she was the only one with access to the portal at this time, making her presence essential to the veteran’s care.
Although preliminary work had started earlier in the week, the veteran’s sudden decline turned the situation into an emergent crisis. She did not hesitate—she dropped everything on her personal time to prioritize the needs of this veteran. This nurse exemplifies the true meaning of nursing: selflessness, compassion, and unwavering dedication to patient care. She consistently goes above and beyond, but this act of service truly demonstrates her commitment to ensuring veterans receive the timely, life-saving care they deserve. For her compassion, hard work, and extraordinary efforts in this moment of crisis, she is most deserving of the DAISY Award.
This veteran, only 44 years old, was gravely ill with a score of 49 out of 50 on the transplant scale, meaning that any delay in care could have cost him his life. At the time, the patient was admitted to a community hospital that performs liver transplants, making the timely submission of documentation absolutely critical. Despite it being after 5 p.m. on a holiday weekend, she immediately partnered with the nurse manager, who physically located the required hardcopy documents at the ACC. Together at the main facility, they ensured the packet was completed, scanned, and uploaded to the tracer portal without delay.
Emergent tracer packets are few and far between, but when they occur, they are both critical and extremely time sensitive. Unlike routine tracer packets—which can take days or even weeks to assemble—emergent tracers must be completed within hours, requiring flawless coordination and urgency. In this case, she worked directly with the GI liver attending to obtain crucial updates that had occurred just hours earlier and connected with the Community Care Liaison to confirm that all documents were received and submitted that Friday night. She was the only available care coordinator—others had already left for the holiday weekend—and, importantly, she was the only one with access to the portal at this time, making her presence essential to the veteran’s care.
Although preliminary work had started earlier in the week, the veteran’s sudden decline turned the situation into an emergent crisis. She did not hesitate—she dropped everything on her personal time to prioritize the needs of this veteran. This nurse exemplifies the true meaning of nursing: selflessness, compassion, and unwavering dedication to patient care. She consistently goes above and beyond, but this act of service truly demonstrates her commitment to ensuring veterans receive the timely, life-saving care they deserve. For her compassion, hard work, and extraordinary efforts in this moment of crisis, she is most deserving of the DAISY Award.