Nursing leaders at St. Joseph and Redwood Memorial hospitals presented a special award to two nurses who have gone above and beyond the call of duty this year to care for patients at the hospitals.

Longtime nurses George Batiste at St. Joseph Hospital and Cheryl Johnson at Redwood Memorial received the first DAISY Awards during National Nurses’ Week, which took place from May 6 through May 12, 2010.

An acronym for “Diseases Attacking the Immune System,” DAISY awards are presented to nurses at hospitals around the country who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to care for patients at the hospital. The DAISY Award was started in 2001 by the family of a man named J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of complications from Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. Barnes’ family wanted to do something positive in his memory and decided to launch a foundation honoring extraordinary nurses like the ones that cared for Barnes during his eight-week hospital stay.

St. Joseph Hospital honored Batiste during a ceremony on Tuesday, May 11. Batiste, who has worked as a nurse at St. Joseph Hospital for 25 years, is passionate about helping patients and their families during what can be an incredibly stressful time in their lives. He was described as the “ambassador” of the Short Stay department, an enthusiastic and respectful nurse who emits calmness and kindness to those with whom he interacts. Recently, a former patient Batiste had cared for approached him five years later with a thank you card for spending his lunch break starting the patient’s IV.

“George is a phenomenal nurse,” said Darcy Demello, manager of the Short Stay Unit at St. Joseph Hospital. “He cares very genuinely for the well-being of every patient and is a wonderful mentor for other staff at the hospital. We are proud to honor him with this award.”

Redwood Memorial Hospital honored Johnson, a nurse of 33 years, with the DAISY Award during a special ceremony on Thursday, May 6. In presenting her with the award, hospital CNO Laurie Garrison cited Johnson’s compassionate care, kindness, empathy for patients and their families, and her respectful nature as reasons for her selection as the hospital’s first recipient.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Johnson said she feels incredibly honored to receive the DAISY Award.

“There are so many great nurses at Redwood Memorial that make such a difference,” she said. “It’s just unbelievable. I feel very honored.”

For more information about the DAISY Awards, go to www.daisyfoundation.org