March 28, 2024

Skiff honors recipient of DAISY nursing award

Veronica Mangrich, RN, chemotherapy nurse at Skiff Medical Center, was recognized for energy, diligence, empathy and the specialized care she provides during the organization’s fourth and final DAISY award ceremony of 2012.

The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses was presented to Mangrich following a nomination by her colleagues in the Skiff Laboratory.

“Veronica always finds ways to integrate Skiff’s iSpark values in her daily life,” said Beth Pettigrew, reading aloud from the nomination she had written with her colleagues from the lab. “Integrity, service, passion, advocacy, responsibility and kindness are all words you can use to describe her and her work.”

Pettigrew went on to describe how Mangrich forms special bonds with her patients, serving as their advocate, their friend and even their adopted family member, which includes mourning with relatives when a patient loses their battle with cancer.

“She gives the little things that can make a difference,” Pettigrew said, “such as offering warm blankets, providing snacks, spending her own money to make the Cancer Clinic a warm, inviting place, even caring for the fish in the clinic’s aquarium.”

Mangrich’s also was commended for her relationship with her colleagues, the clinic’s oncologists and the community, both local and global. She participates in fundraisers, her church and, on an annual basis, mission trips to El Salvador.

“I want to say thank you for the very special honor of receiving the DAISY Award,” Mangrich said. “It is only by the excellent example of many fellow workers both in nursing and other areas, with whom I have worked over the years that has helped me to develop my own strong nursing care values. Being given this award is not only a humbling honor but also serves to encourage me to find new ways to better serve my patients and coworkers. Furthermore, this award is a reflection of all of our efforts to personify the iSpark values.”

Mangrich was among 13 nurses nominated for this quarter’s DAISY Award: Linda Chrismore (nominated twice), Ramona Davis, Patty Habel, Noelle Harper, Carla Johnson, Susan Junge, Stephanie Machin, Becca Nunn-Ryan, Ellen Ritter, DewAnn Sanchez, Brenda Steenhoek and Sandy Verwers (nominated twice).

“We continue to see nurses from area department be recognized,” Chief Nursing Officer Mary Swoboda said. “Skiff is now among about 600 hospitals nationwide who participate in the DAISY awards, so it is becoming quite a well-known honor.”

The DAISY Award, presented in collaboration with The American Organization of Nurse Executives, is part of the DAISY Foundation’s program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform everyday. The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., 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, a little-known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. 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.

Nomination forms are available throughout Skiff Medical Center. The nominations are reviewed and award winners are selected on a quarterly basis by the Nursing Coordinating Council, which consists of professional nursing representatives from all areas of the organization.

To learn more about Skiff Medical Center, visit www.skiffmed.com or www.facebook.com/skiffmed.