Daisy Award

What is The DAISY Award?

The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 by the family of Patrick Barnes. Patrick was 33 years old when he died of complications from the auto-immune disease ITP.

Like many families who go through this kind of loss, the Barnes family wanted to do something positive to honor the very special man Patrick was. Right after Pat’s death, they came up with DAISY – an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. As they brainstormed what The DAISY Foundation would actually do, they kept coming back to the one positive thing they held on to during Pat’s illness; the extraordinary care Pat and the entire family received from nurses.

The family was very impressed by the clinical care Pat’s nurses provided, but what really overwhelmed them was the compassion and kindness that his nurses brought to the bedside day in and day out. The nurses’ sensitivity made a great difference in the Barnes’ experience, and they wanted to come up with a way to thank nurses for the extraordinary care they provide patients and families every day. So, Pat’s family created The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

What started out as a thank you from the Barnes family to nurses has grown into a meaningful recognition program embraced by healthcare organizations around the world. Vista Health System is proud to partner with The DAISY Foundation to honor and celebrate its extraordinary nurses.

Nominate a Nurse

Vista Health System’s DAISY Award Committee invites nominations for recognizing exemplary nursing care. Please fill out the form below: