Steve Marciano
June 2026
Steve
Marciano
,
MSHA, BSPH, LPN
BayCare Health System
Winter Haven
,
FL
United States
His servant leadership, innovation, and dedication to improving the environment in which nurses care for patients truly embody the spirit of the DAISY Award.
It is with great enthusiasm that we collectively nominate Steve Marciano, Manager of Business Operations, for recognition through the DAISY Award. While Steve may not provide bedside care himself, his impact on nursing, patient safety, and the patient experience is extraordinary and deeply felt throughout Winter Haven Hospital, Winter Haven Women’s Hospital, Bartow Regional Medical Center, and South Florida Baptist every single day.
Providing safe, quality patient care takes an entire team, and Steve exemplifies what it means to support caregivers from behind the scenes. His work consistently removes barriers for nurses, improves workflows, and allows clinical teams to spend more time focused on what matters most — caring for patients.
One of the most remarkable examples of Steve’s leadership has been his instrumental role in bringing Relay Robotics to our hospitals. What began as an innovative vision quickly became a reality because of Steve’s relentless dedication, operational expertise, and ability to unite multiple departments toward a common goal. He coordinated complex efforts involving Clinical Engineering, Facilities, Information Services, Communications, Security, and outside vendors to successfully implement this technology across our campuses.
From capital planning and operational funding to elevator integration, badge access, automatic doors, and system connectivity, Steve managed every detail with precision and persistence. He coordinated vendor partnerships, oversaw training and go-live preparation, and ensured our teams felt supported throughout the rollout process. The successful integration of the Relay Robots has already had a meaningful impact on nursing workflows by reducing workload burdens, improving efficiency, increasing safety, and returning valuable time back to caregivers and patients.
What stands out most about Steve is that he never approaches challenges as “someone else’s problem.” When concerns arise, he immediately steps in, brings the right people together, and works collaboratively toward solutions.
A powerful example of this involved the transport process for post-surgical open-heart patients moving from the CVOR to the CVICU. These transports involve critically ill patients and large amounts of complex equipment that must travel with them safely. Staff identified significant challenges maneuvering beds and equipment through transport routes, creating stress points for both staff and patient safety.
As soon as Steve became aware of the issue, he immediately took ownership. He coordinated conversations with key stakeholders, collaborated with teams across departments, and became the driving force behind finding a safer solution. Through his efforts, improved beds were obtained that better supported equipment needs during transport and significantly improved safety for both patients and staff.
To some, this may appear to be an operational improvement. To the nurses and caregivers transporting critically ill patients every day, it was much more than that. It reduced stress, improved workflow, removed barriers to patient care, and demonstrated that leadership was truly listening and willing to act.
Beyond these major initiatives, Steve consistently goes above and beyond in countless ways. Since joining our team, he has dedicated himself to projects that directly impact both patient care and staff wellbeing. He has helped identify new space for the CMU, explored options for creating a zen room for team members, supported new Emergency Department leadership during their transition, and played a vital role in numerous construction and operational projects across the organization.
No matter the challenge, Steve approaches his work with energy, humility, collaboration, and an unwavering willingness to help. He is solution-oriented, dependable, approachable, and deeply committed to supporting both nursing teams and patients. He has an incredible ability to balance operational demands while never losing sight of the people behind the work. Steve’s contributions may not always happen at the bedside, but their impact reaches the bedside every day. His servant leadership, innovation, and dedication to improving the environment in which nurses care for patients truly embody the spirit of the DAISY Award.
We are incredibly grateful for Steve’s partnership, support, and commitment to our teams, and we cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.
Providing safe, quality patient care takes an entire team, and Steve exemplifies what it means to support caregivers from behind the scenes. His work consistently removes barriers for nurses, improves workflows, and allows clinical teams to spend more time focused on what matters most — caring for patients.
One of the most remarkable examples of Steve’s leadership has been his instrumental role in bringing Relay Robotics to our hospitals. What began as an innovative vision quickly became a reality because of Steve’s relentless dedication, operational expertise, and ability to unite multiple departments toward a common goal. He coordinated complex efforts involving Clinical Engineering, Facilities, Information Services, Communications, Security, and outside vendors to successfully implement this technology across our campuses.
From capital planning and operational funding to elevator integration, badge access, automatic doors, and system connectivity, Steve managed every detail with precision and persistence. He coordinated vendor partnerships, oversaw training and go-live preparation, and ensured our teams felt supported throughout the rollout process. The successful integration of the Relay Robots has already had a meaningful impact on nursing workflows by reducing workload burdens, improving efficiency, increasing safety, and returning valuable time back to caregivers and patients.
What stands out most about Steve is that he never approaches challenges as “someone else’s problem.” When concerns arise, he immediately steps in, brings the right people together, and works collaboratively toward solutions.
A powerful example of this involved the transport process for post-surgical open-heart patients moving from the CVOR to the CVICU. These transports involve critically ill patients and large amounts of complex equipment that must travel with them safely. Staff identified significant challenges maneuvering beds and equipment through transport routes, creating stress points for both staff and patient safety.
As soon as Steve became aware of the issue, he immediately took ownership. He coordinated conversations with key stakeholders, collaborated with teams across departments, and became the driving force behind finding a safer solution. Through his efforts, improved beds were obtained that better supported equipment needs during transport and significantly improved safety for both patients and staff.
To some, this may appear to be an operational improvement. To the nurses and caregivers transporting critically ill patients every day, it was much more than that. It reduced stress, improved workflow, removed barriers to patient care, and demonstrated that leadership was truly listening and willing to act.
Beyond these major initiatives, Steve consistently goes above and beyond in countless ways. Since joining our team, he has dedicated himself to projects that directly impact both patient care and staff wellbeing. He has helped identify new space for the CMU, explored options for creating a zen room for team members, supported new Emergency Department leadership during their transition, and played a vital role in numerous construction and operational projects across the organization.
No matter the challenge, Steve approaches his work with energy, humility, collaboration, and an unwavering willingness to help. He is solution-oriented, dependable, approachable, and deeply committed to supporting both nursing teams and patients. He has an incredible ability to balance operational demands while never losing sight of the people behind the work. Steve’s contributions may not always happen at the bedside, but their impact reaches the bedside every day. His servant leadership, innovation, and dedication to improving the environment in which nurses care for patients truly embody the spirit of the DAISY Award.
We are incredibly grateful for Steve’s partnership, support, and commitment to our teams, and we cannot think of anyone more deserving of this recognition.