Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital honors DAISY nurse leader

ALBANY — Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital recognizes a nurse for his or her efforts at the bedside each month with the DAISY Award, a national program to honor excellence in nursing.

Now, Phoebe is honoring and celebrating nurse managers with the DAISY Nurse Leader Award. The award’s inaugural winner, announced last week, is Anza Richardson, nurse manager for general surgery and urology at the hospital.

Officials said that, over the years, it has become evident that the environment created by nurse leaders is a strong factor in how direct care nurses take care of patients. Her nomination letter said Richardson demonstrates strong leadership and has gained the respect and loyalty of her employees.

“She is the glue that keeps things working the way they do,” the letter said. “Staff appreciates her making sure they are always fully staffed. On the rare occasion they are short-staffed, they know she will pitch in and help or more often than not, guide their actions.

“Seeing her work as hard as she does makes the staff work harder as well. Her staff knows that she cares and that above all else is most meaningful.”

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a little-known but not uncommon auto-immune disease.

The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a difference in the lives of their patients and patients’ families. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.

At a presentation in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients and visitors, the honoree each month will receive a certificate commending her or him for being an “Extraordinary Nurse.” The honoree will also be given a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.

Jennifer Parks