San Juan Regional Medical Center Caregivers Honored with DAISY and BEE Awards

San Juan Regional Medical Center is proud to honor four exceptional caregivers with DAISY and BEE awards. The DAISY award is an international recognition for extraordinary nurses and the BEE award is its companion for healthcare professionals who are Being Exceptional Every day.

DAISY Honorees

Bryan Ender and Kassi King

Bryan Ender is an ICU nurse who was nominated by a patient's family for the compassion, dignity and respect he demonstrated while caring for a patient with complex medical needs. When he recognized that the patient was experiencing withdrawal symptoms, Bryan responded with both expertise and empathy, ensuring the patient was as comfortable as possible. He treated both the patient and family without judgment, creating an environment of trust during a difficult time. "I appreciated Bryan caring for my husband with dignity and respect," the patient's wife said. "We want him to know that his level of care and compassion didn't go unnoticed."

Kassi King is an ICU nurse who exemplifies the compassion, clinical excellence and leadership that define an extraordinary nurse. She is a trusted resource for her colleagues, consistently taking the time to listen, teach and support the team while providing exceptional care to patients and their families. Whether responding to rapid responses or code blue calls, mentoring new nurses, or proactively identifying opportunities to improve patient outcomes, Kassi leads with expertise, kindness and dedication. Her willingness to educate, collaborate, and go above and beyond has made a lasting impact on both her coworkers and patients. "All of us on Nephrology greatly appreciate everything Kassi does," said nurse Wendy Joe in her nomination. "Her knowledge and willingness to listen to our concerns and address them make her our go-to person."

BEE Honorees

Laurell Begay and Thalia Johnson

Laurell Begay is a Patient Care Tech on the Childbirth Unit whose dedication, initiative and commitment to excellence make a meaningful difference every day. She consistently goes above and beyond, ensuring the unit is stocked, organized and prepared while providing every patient with compassionate, five-star care. Laurell is always looking for ways to improve processes and support both her patients and her coworkers. One example occurred after recognizing that resources for Spanish-speaking patients were limited. Without being asked, she worked diligently to obtain the necessary forms in Spanish, created patient folders, and developed a template that her coworkers could easily replicate for future patients. "Even though actions like this seem small to Laurell, she doesn't realize the huge impact it has on providing inclusive care to our patients," said nurse Savannah Jefferson in her nomination.

Thalia Johnson is a Patient Care Tech on the Medical Unit who is being recognized for her quick thinking, calm demeanor and commitment to patient safety. Following a high-risk procedure, she recognized that a patient was experiencing significant bleeding and took action. Thalia worked to control the bleeding, promptly notified the charge nurse, and continued to assist with stabilizing the patient. "Thalia's actions are tribute to her commitment to Sacred Trust and patient safety," said nurse Kati Goldsmith in her nomination. "Her advocacy and strong safety awareness led to the patient being transferred to a higher level of care."

Nominating a caregiver for a DAISY or BEE Award is simple and meaningful. We have nomination forms on our website and invite our community to recognize a caregiver who has made an impact:

DAISY: https://www.sanjuanregional.com/formbuilder/forms.aspx?formid=91863&sid=1

BEE: https://www.sanjuanregional.com/bee-award