CANANDAIGUA – Registered Nurse Melissa Hoffman of the Birthing Center at F.F. Thompson Hospital was recently honored by UR Medicine Thompson Health with The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses ®.
Hoffman is a resident of Pittsford and was the first to receive the award at Thompson. The health system announced over the summer it would be selecting a quarterly winner based on nominations submitted by patients, families and staff. The nomination of Hoffman referenced her advocacy for a family during a difficult labor, delivery, and post-partum period, as well as the “kind, compassionate, and skilled” nursing care she provides on a regular basis.
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by his family members. Barnes died at the age of 33 in 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses in Seattle while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a difference in the lives of their patients and families.
Hoffman was celebrated during a small ceremony where she received a certificate, a pin, and a hand-carved sculpture called A Healer’s Touch. In addition, she and her colleagues enjoyed cinnamon rolls, Barnes’ favorite treat during his illness.
Thompson Health Vice President of Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer Hazel Robertshaw noted during the ceremony that often when a nurse receives a DAISY Award, the response is, “I didn’t do anything special. I was just doing my job.”
“What the DAISY nurse may not realize is that when nurses are ‘just doing their jobs,’ they have such an important, meaningful impact on the lives of so many,” Robertshaw said. “That was clearly articulated in Melissa’s nomination. She is making the world a better place because she is a nurse.”
To nominate a Thompson nurse to be the next DAISY recipient, visit www.ThompsonHealth.com/DAISY. Paper nomination forms are also available on each nursing unit and at various system locations. To learn more about the program, visit http://DAISYfoundation.org.