DAISY Award Recipient

The Punxsutawney Area Hospital is excited to announce the newest DAISY Award Recipient, Patti Dinsmore.
The DAISY award is part of a national nursing recognition program called the DAISY Foundation. An acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System, The DAISY Foundation was formed in November 1999, by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). The nursing care Patrick received when hospitalized profoundly touched his family. Today, DAISY proudly honors nurses wherever they practice, in whatever role they serve, and throughout their careers- from nursing student through lifetime achievement. The mission of the DAISY Foundation is to express gratitude to nurses that recognize them for the extraordinary compassionate, skillful care they provide patients and families. By honoring compassionate nurses, DAISY reinforces the importance of compassion in healthcare.

Patti Dinsmore has been in the nursing field for 32 years and is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Currently, Patti oversees and manages the following departments at Punxsutawney Area Hospital: The Intensive Care Unit, Behavioral Health Services, Discharge Planning, Home Health Care, and Clinical Nutrition.  When asked what her favorite part of nursing was, Patti responded, “I absolutely love taking care of the critically ill patients along with their families”.  Patti was nominated by a patient who she cared for in the ICU at Punxsutawney Area Hospital. The patient submitted a nomination detailing Patti’s heartfelt, compassionate care and as well as describing how her nursing skills that went above and beyond the patients’ expectations.  
When asked what her reaction was to being a DAISY recipient, Patti stated,” I was humbled by what the patient had written…I was only doing my job…the best way I know how…I really didn’t think that I did anything extra special, and I was and still am very embarrassed”. Patti received this distinct honor surrounded by her peers, hospital leadership, the patient who submitted the nomination and many members of her family including: her mother and father; Carol and Jim Overly; daughter-in-law, Amanda and her granddaughters, Ivy and Fiona; brother and sister-in-law J.R. and Ellen Overly; and sisters, Debbie George and Marybeth Bosak.
“Patti Dinsmore has served the healthcare needs of many patients at PAH over 30 years in staffing and management.  We are grateful to the patient that put into words the impact Patti made on her experience.  PAH is delighted that Patti has received the DAISY Award.”, states Paula Spack, Vice President of Patient Care Services.

Any nurse that works for Punxsutawney Area Hospital is eligible to be nominated for this prestigious award. Nomination form can be found in various locations at the hospital, given to patients upon discharge, and the electronic form can be found on www.pah.org. The nomination forms will be reviewed 3 times a year for consideration. Each nomination will be blinded during the process of review. The review will be completed by an internal committee of the hospital for consideration. The DAISY foundation has created a specific set of guidelines to follow to determine what qualifies a nurse for a DAISY award. Nominations can be submitted at any time, there is no cutoff date for consideration. DAISY recipients receive a pin, a ‘Healers Touch’ Sculpture, reduced prices for educational advancement opportunities, access to seminars and journals, and discounts for various conferences for the entire length of their career.