Unity has announced Ashley Vander Heiden as the 2024 honoree of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award ceremony took place at Unity Grief and Education Center, recognizing Vander Heiden’s dedication to high-quality care. She received a personalized certificate, a DAISY Award pin, and a sculpture titled “The Healer’s Touch,” symbolizing the nurse-patient bond. As an honoree, she gains benefits such as reduced certification rates with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and opportunities for conference scholarships.
Nurses can be nominated for the DAISY Award by patients, family members, physicians, community partners, and colleagues. Vander Heiden was nominated by her colleague Connie Rissling. Rissling praised her saying, “I’ve watched Ashley meeting people in motel rooms to change wound bandages and ensure comfort for a dying patient. Dangerous situations, unsanitary environment, none of that mattered. She was gentle, kind, compassionate and didn’t leave until she knew he was going to be okay.” Rissling also highlighted Vander Heiden’s work with pediatric patients and her willingness to share knowledge across disciplines.
Unity encourages those who have had exceptional experiences with their nurses to submit nominations through their website.
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization created in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by his family after he passed away from Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). The foundation aims to honor nurses for their clinical skills and compassion.
Unity is a not-for-profit healthcare provider in Northeast Wisconsin offering various care solutions including hospice care and grief support. It collaborates with local health facilities ensuring comprehensive care delivery.
