Nurses Receive DAISY Award for Extraordinary, Compassionate Care

Nurses across MyMichigan Health were recently honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. Those receiving the award were: Amy Lott, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center Alma; Mary Daleski, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center Alpena; Becky Green, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center Clare; Zachary Donovan, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center Gladwin; Mary Haley, R.N., MyMichigan Home Care Hospice; Jaye LaClair, R.N., MyMichigan Health Park Bay Emergency Department and Wrae Bate, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center Midland, and Nathan Sloan, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center West Branch.

“We are proud to be among the health care organizations participating in the DAISY Award program,” said Marissa Palmer, D.N.P., R.N., who currently serves as system vice president of nursing services-interim, MyMichigan Health. “Nurses go above and beyond every day. In fact, it’s the quiet moments of healing when the extraordinary compassion of a nurse shines brighter than any accolade. We’re so proud of all our nurses and it is important they know their work is highly valued. The DAISY Foundation provides a way for us to do that.” Palmer has accepted the role of chief nursing officer for MyMichigan Health effective Dec. 22, 2024. The role was previously held by Tammy Terrell, M.S.N., R.N., who will be serving as senior operations administrator prior to her official retirement in mid-2025.

Nurses are nominated for a DAISY Award by patients or their family members, fellow nurses, staff, volunteers, health care providers or other personnel. Award recipients are chosen by a committee at MyMichigan Health to receive the DAISY Award. Awards are presented twice a year, in November and May, at a celebration attended by the nurse’s colleagues and nominator. Each honoree receives a certificate commending him or her as an ‘Extraordinary Nurse,’ a DAISY Award pin and a meaningful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

The DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation is a non-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. Barnes died at the age of 33 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon autoimmune disease. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and families.

“When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night,” said Bonnie Barnes, co-founder of the DAISY Foundation. “Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at MyMichigan Health are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of the DAISY Award.”

Those who would like to learn more about the DAISY Award, or who would like to nominate a nurse, may visit www.mymichigan.org/daisy.  

Amy Lott, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center Alma, was one of eight nurses across the MyMichigan Health system recently honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®.

Jaye LaClair, R.N., MyMichigan Health Park Bay Emergency Department (left) and Wrae Bate, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center Midland (right), were two of eight nurses across the MyMichigan Health system recently honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. They stand with Tom Wood, R.N.

Becky Green, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center Clare, (center) was one of eight nurses across the MyMichigan Health system recently honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. She stands with Kathy Defoy (left) and Margie Clark (right).


Mary Haley, R.N., MyMichigan Home Care Hospice, (center) was one of eight nurses across the MyMichigan Health system recently honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. She stands with Dawn Duffield (left) and Susie Fulk (right).


Zachary Donovan, R.N., MyMichigan Medical Center Gladwin, was one of eight nurses across the MyMichigan Health system recently honored with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. He stands with Jennifer Bailey.