RN Emily Davidson was the 2021 Daisy Award winner. She and other members of PeaceHealth Peace Harbor were honored with awards.

Ceremony held for Daisy, Dove Awards

Nov. 17, 2021 — 

PeaceHealth Peace Harbor hospital administrators have announced the winner of the Fall 2021 Daisy Award Winner, Emily Davidson. Davidson is a 10-year employee of Peace Harbor and a Registered Nurse (RN) on the medical surgical unit at the Florence campus.

Recognizing the dedication and the commitment of local health care workers is the purpose of the Daisy Award, which is the highlight of a week which rewarded frontline healthcare workers with free meals, a pumpkin carving contest, tickets for films at City Lights Cinemas and BJ’s Ice Cream. Perhaps most significantly, the award provides a venue for public recognition of their often life changing work.

The challenges presented by the COVID pandemic have impacted few sectors of American life as dramatically as the health care industry, and managers at PeaceHealth Peace Harbor believe these awards are important not only to the recipients, but to their families and to their many indebted patients.

Colleen Lorenz is the Nurse Manager at Peace Harbor, and she believes that Davidson exemplifies the qualities needed to be a successful caregiver.

“Emily models the best in nursing,” said Lorenz. “She takes her knowledge and skills seriously, is an advocate for her patients and ensures that the entire care team is providing top quality care with compassion.”

The Daisy Award was not the only honor given to PHPH employees last month; there was also a series of team-oriented awards presented called the DOVE Employee Recognition Awards. The DOVEs were awarded to caregivers who have modeled excellence through exceptional medical or compassionate actions in the context of a team effort.

“The Patient Access Representative Team won the Team/Group Award, as this team reflects the Peace Harbor Mission by coming to work every day to help, keep a happy face and keeping the community going in such an unprecedented time,” Lorenz said.

The Outpatient Care Leadership award was presented to Susan Walters.

“Susan is the manager of Home Health and Hospice, and she shows each of us ways we can live the mission as she does,” Lorenz said. “She is an effective mentor, a dedicated patient advocate and an insightful leader who understands the needs of a small community.”

 One DOVE award was presented to RN Bruce Brown for his work as an Employee Health Nurse.

“Bruce has dedicated himself entirely to supporting our caregivers, providers and leaders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. His laser focus on the safety of our healthcare workers is unwavering,” Lorenz said.

Dustin Degman, CRNA, received the Physician Award, “as he remains calm in very stressful situations, while also making very critical decisions,” Lorenz added. “He treats everyone equally, whether it is a patient, family member or caregiver. His kindness, gentle demeanor, professionalism and exceptional skills are so appreciated.”

Megan Davis received the DOVE award for her work with outpatients due to her ability to recognize the underlying causes of patient distress and assisting with those issues.

PeaceHealth Peace Harbor Medical Center is located at 400 Ninth St. in Florence. For more information, visit www.peacehealth.org/peace-harbor-medical-center.