NURSING AWARD WINNER RECOGNIZED 

DAISY AWARD WINNER RECOGNIZED AT HOLZER HEALTH SYSTEM

Lisa Mulholand, RN, Diabetic Educator, Holzer Health System, was recently honored with The DAISY Award®. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the above and beyond efforts nurses perform every day.

The nomination submitted by a recent Holzer patient read “My husband and I were both scheduled to have regeneron infusions for COVID. My husband became very ill the morning of his infusion. He had lower oxygen levels than preferred, was nauseated, and had a high temperature. To put it simple, he was not doing well at all. However, the nurses stuck with us. They gave Tylenol and waited on his temperature to decrease, put him on O2 and waited as he kept his saturation up after removing the oxygen, then fought to get an IV in. Several nurses and nurse practitioners worked hard all day to make sure he was able to receive the infusion. They went above and beyond by making sure he had the best treatment possible, with the hope of keeping him out of the emergency room and hospital. These nurses stayed after hours just for him, and I am so thankful. They showed compassion in a trying and anxious time and put the patient first. They made sure to let me know what his levels were throughout the day and kept one of our daughters informed. One of the nurses even checked on us late that night, which was very kind and shows how much she cares about her patients. We are Blessed and Thankful that within 24 hours, he felt much better, even mowing the lawn the next afternoon.”

DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem. The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick 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 patient families.

Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, CEO and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, "When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at Holzer are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”

Nominations for the DAISY award can be submitted by patients, patients’ family members, peers, and providers. The award honors LPNs and RNs across every division of care in the Holzer system, including: acute/hospital, post-acute/long-term care, and ambulatory/outpatient. Nomination forms can be found throughout all Holzer facilities and online at www.holzer.org/DAISY-award. The nominations are verified before being shared with the Holzer DAISY committee to evaluate and score the applicants each month. In nominating an individual, a specific example or scenario of the nurse going above and beyond for a patient is required on the nomination form.

“The DAISY Award program shines a light on all the right,” shared Susan Rowe, RN, MSN, CENP, C-EFM, CLS, Vice President, Nursing Services, Holzer Health System. “Through this program, we are able to meaningfully recognize the extraordinary contributions of nurses, and their efforts to create and sustain healthy work environments. We are honored to formally recognize Rachael as the Holzer first recipient of the DAISY award.”

When asked about receiving the award, Lisa responded, “To say I was shocked to receive the DAISY award is an understatement. I was in total disbelief when everyone came into the office carrying flowers and gifts. I was sure they were there for someone else! This might be the most memorable day in my 42 years of being a nurse. I felt like I was truly making a difference in someone’s life. Many people come together to help make a difference in our community and they all deserve recognition!”

Lisa worked at Holzer from 1992 to 2022 in Holzer Home Care and then returned to Holzer in June of 2021 as the Diabetic Educator. She graduated from Buckeye Hills School of Practical Nursing and Holzer School of Nursing with her RN degree.

When asked about being a part of Holzer, she continued, “For the past 29 years, I have been an employee and/or patient of Holzer. I have essentially grown up as part of the Holzer family. I cannot imagine being anywhere else.”

Lisa resides in Bidwell, Ohio. She has five children and nine grandchildren. She enjoys camping, boating and riding motorcycles.

To learn more about this program how The DAISY Award recognizes extraordinary nurses, please visit DAISYFoundation.org. To nominate an extraordinary Holzer nurse, please visit www.holzer.org/DAISY-award or fill out a paper form at one of our locations.