October 1, 2020 at 12:17 p.m.
Arbor Vitae hospice nurse honored with DAISY Award
Arbor Vitae hospice nurse honored with DAISY Award
Ascension at Home held its 3rd Quarter DAISY Award ceremony Sept. 23 at the Rhinelander Ice Association where Liz Keller, Hospice RN, was recognized for being the "best of the best" among the health care providers staff.
The DAISY Award was created in 1999 by members of the family of Patrick Barnes.
Barnes died at age 33 of complications from the auto-immune disease ITP after an eight-week fight. DAISY is an acronym for Disease Attacking the Immune System. After Barnes' passing, his family wanted to establish a foundation in his memory and decided it should honor the nurses that work with patients like him.
"The family was very impressed by the clinical care Pat's nurses brought to his bedside day in and day out," said Alyson Schmidt of Ascension at Home. "The nurses' sensitivity made great difference in the Barnes' experience, and they wanted to say thank you to the nurses for the extraordinary care they provide patients and families every day."
Since its inception, the award has been embraced by health care organizations worldwide, Schmidt said.
Keller, who works in the Arbor Vitae clinic, was nominated for the award by Martha Handrick, whose mother Rosalie was one of her patients.
In her nomination letter, Handrick wrote that once her mother's illness reached the stage where hospice care was needed, she was initially scared.
"A couple days later our fears melted away when a soft-spoken, engaging little brunette, dark eyes sparkling above her COVID mask, stepped in and erased the doubt with her reassuring and efficient manner, gently and professionally introducing us to hospice and completely winning over my proud and private mother," Handrick read from her letter. "I expected her to be kind, to be thorough, but I never imagined feeling like I'd known her for years, like there was nothing else she'd rather be doing, like Mom was her only patient."
The letter recounted how Keller not only cared for her mother's medical needs but also saw to the emotional needs of the family.
"In those moments, I could see the passion in her eyes, hear it in her voice and realized how blessed we were to have Liz in our lives, walking our darkest walk with us and bringing light to our steps," Handrick's letter said. "She had a lot to do that day, but you never would have known that. She was willing to sit with me until I was okay. God has chosen her, called her to her profession, and I am eternally grateful for her selfless devotion to her patients and their families."
In addition to a certificate and pin for her uniform, Keller was also presented with a hand-carved Healer's Touch sculpture
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