DAISY AT UM Shore Regional Health
Any UM Shore Regional Health or UM Shore Medical Group nurse who has made a special connection with a patient or family can be nominated for the DAISY Award.
UM Shore DAISY Committee members meet monthly to choose an honoree, who will receive a special treat and prizes.
About the DAISY Award
The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses honors the memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), an auto-immune disease. His family, profoundly impressed by the clinical skills and compassion of the nurses who cared for Patrick, created this international award to show gratitude for nurses everywhere.
Anyone can nominate a UM Shore Regional Health nurse for the DAISY Award, including patients, families, and fellow nurses and health care providers. Complete the nomination form online at or pick up a paper copy of the form at the nurses’ stations.
Monthly UM Shore DAISY Winner
Michael Parker, BSN, RN (January 2024 DAISY Honoree)
Congratulations to January’s DAISY nurse – Michael Parker, BSN, RN, who was nominated by a patient’s family member for the exceptional care he delivered during the patient’s stay in the Intensive Care Unit.
“Being in the ICU is scary, and being there when you're not exactly sure why is even scarier,” read the nomination. “Mike was a godsend. He was more than cordial and polite and accommodating (and he was all of those things); he was also a friend. You could feel he was going to take care of my sister, he was going to help me take care of my sister, and he was going to make sure everybody that came into the space was taking care of my sister. He shared all the information he had, answered all of our questions, and made sure we understood everything. And he did it all while seeming extremely happy to do his job, even the unpleasant parts. He joked, which meant we joked, which meant there was laughter in the face of all the things we might have been afraid of. He made those first hours in the ICU less scary and more hopeful, and definitely a lot more fun than they had to be, or that we had any reason to expect they might be. That level of compassion and caring and fun kept down the anxiety which made everything else bearable. I am so glad he was the person caring for my sister!”
As part of winning the DAISY award, Parker will be internationally recognized on the DAISY website. He also received a certificate, a DAISY pin, and a "Healer's Touch" Statue. As tradition holds, Parker and his team were also treated to cinnamon rolls.
Past DAISY Winners
2024 DAISY Nurses
- January – Michael Parker, BSN, RN, (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Intensive Care Unit)
2023 DAISY Nurses
- January – Shannon Temple, BSN, RN, FNE A/P (Forensic Nurse Coordinator, UM Shore Regional Health)
- February – Leigh Mingos, RN (staff nurse, Cancer Center at UM Shore Regional Health)
- March – Debra Van Dyke, MSN, RN (Behavioral Health, UM Shore Regional Health)
- April – Ashley Diem, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Telemetry)
- May – Stephanie Saffran, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, 2 East)
- June – Kara Stuart, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Birthing Center)
- July – Lisa Asplen, RN (staff nurse, Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC), UM Shore Regional Health)
- August – Alexa Blazejak, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, 2 East)
- September – Alejandro Martinez, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, 3 East)
- October – Leslie Collier, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Emergency Department)
- November – Shannon Phoenix, BSN, RN, (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, 2 East)
- December – Morgan Maynard, BSN, RN, FLOAT/JET Nurse
2022 DAISY Nurses
- April – Nicole Coleman, RN/BSN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Intensive Care Unit)
- May – Tom Bush, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Perioperative Services)
- June – Jennifer Owens, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Birthing Center)
- July – Shannon Benson, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Birthing Center)
- August – Kristi Tucker, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Birthing Center)
- September – Haley Setter, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Birthing Center)
- October – Steve Pringle, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Emergency Center at Queenstown)
- November – Kristen Wilczenski, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, 2 East/Medical Surgical Unit)
- December – Jacqueline Groz, RN (staff nurse, UM Shore Medical Center at Easton, Birthing Center)
