Rick Heaton receives St. Mary's DAISY Award for excellence
July 9, 2024
Athens, Ga. – July 10, 2024 – Rick Heaton, a registered nurse who provides care as part of the nursing Float Pool at St. Mary’s Hospital, has received St. Mary’s systemwide DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence.
A resident of Lavonia, Heaton was nominated by members of a family who were grateful for the care he delivered to their loved one as she neared the end of life in St. Mary’s Intensive Care Unit.
“I think about you and the care you gave my loved one during the final moments,” one family member wrote. “You truly were a light in the middle of darkness. We thank you for your kindness, dedication and healing touch. Thank you for always putting your patients first no matter how grueling your day. We thank you for providing an empathetic ear and compassionate hand when a life-changing diagnosis is delivered.”
“Rick is a marvelous nurse whose compassion for his patients and their families shines through daily. We are extremely proud of him and all of our DAISY Award recipients,” said Ann Gomes, St. Mary’s DAISY Award Committee coordinator and director of orthopedics at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens. “This award demonstrates the vital role nurses play as care providers at the bedside, and with families and colleagues. Congratulations, Rick!”
About the DAISY Award
The DAISY Award is an international recognition program that celebrates the skillful and compassionate care nurses provide daily. It was created in gratitude for the nurses who provided care to Patrick Barnes, a 33-year-old husband and father who lost his fight against a deadly autoimmune disease in 1999. His family created the DAISY Foundation, which now partners with more than 5,000 hospitals and schools in all 50 states and around the world to honor and inspire extraordinary nurses.
At St. Mary's, each DAISY Award recipient is recognized at a public ceremony with their colleagues. They receive a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, and a hand-carved stone sculpture entitled "A Healer's Touch". In addition, they and their colleagues are invited to celebrate the occasion with cinnamon rolls, a treat Patrick would request – even though he couldn’t eat them – as a thank-you to the nurses caring for him.
Anyone can nominate a St. Mary's nurse for the DAISY Award, including patients, patients' family members, providers, and colleagues. Any nurse in the St. Mary's system is eligible, as well as home health care/hospice nurses and those who practice at our medical group offices. If a nurse in our system has touched your life, share your story via one of the channels below to nominate them.
There are two ways you can nominate a St. Mary's nurse for the DAISY Award:
- Visit St. Mary's DAISY Award webpage, or
- Contact Melissa McDaniel, Marketing Administrative Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator, at 706.389.3892.