Published: August 16, 2022
IONIA, MI – Sparrow Ionia Hospital recently honored a highly skilled nurse and surgical team with DAISY Awards for their compassionate care, outstanding nursing skills, and always putting patients first.
Emergency Department Nurse Amber Spitzley, BSN, RN, was named DAISY Award honoree based on a patient nomination for her attentiveness and kindness during the patient’s long stay. Spitzley has worked at Sparrow Ionia since 2018.
“Amber is always compassionate to each and every patient she encounters,” said Sparrow Ionia Hospital Emergency Department Manager Tara Lanz, BSN, RN. “She is incredibly hard working. Our hospital and community are lucky to have nurses like Amber!”
Amber Spitzley, BSN, RN, (second from left), is honored as Sparrow Ionia Hospital’s DAISY Award recipient. Attending the ceremony were (from left) SIH Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Harris, MSN, BSN, RN; SIH Director of Operations Steve Dexter, MSN, RN, CNRN; and SIH President Linda Reetz, MBA, BSN, RN, NE-BC.
Sparrow Ionia Surgical caregivers were provided the DAISY Team award for their support, responsiveness, and exceptional care for patients.
Sparrow Ionia Surgical caregivers received a DAISY Team Award after being nominated by fellow caregivers for their support, responsiveness, and exceptional care. The team is known for helping with critical events, assisting departments in need, and providing education assistance, among other things.
“Our Surgical team is continually prepared to support the Emergency Department and inpatient units during critical events,” said Lanz. “The team’s efforts and willingness to work seamlessly with the team involved is imperative to helping us provide safe, quality care. They repeatedly exemplify teamwork.”
The DAISY Award is an international program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary, compassionate, and skillful care given by nurses every day. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The DAISY Award is a national program created in memory of J. Patrick Barnes who died in 1999 of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura, or ITP, at age 33. His family was overwhelmed by the skillful and compassionate nurses who cared for him, and the DAISY Foundation and award were created as an expression of their gratitude.
Spitzley and the Surgical Team received certificates, DAISY pins, and beautiful stone sculptures called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. The sculptures depict the embracing relationship nurses have with their patients.
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Sparrow is Mid-Michigan’s premier healthcare organization and includes hospitals in Lansing, Carson City, Charlotte, Ionia, and St. Johns, as well as Sparrow Specialty Hospital, Physicians Health Plan, Sparrow Care Network, Sparrow Medical Group, Michigan Athletic Club, and AL!VE. Sparrow is affiliated with Michigan Medicine through the Sparrow Children’s Center and with Michigan State University’s three human health colleges. Through these partnerships and the dedication of our 10,000 caregivers, Sparrow pursues a vision to be nationally recognized as a leader in quality and patient experience. For more information, visit Sparrow.org.