Fort Wayne, IND. – April 23, 2025 – Five Parkview nurses were recognized this winter by The DAISY Foundation for extraordinary nursing.
The DAISY Foundation was founded in memory of Patrick Barnes, a 33-year-old man who spent eight weeks in a hospital being treated for an autoimmune disorder. During his stay, Barnes received excellent nursing care, and, in his memory, his family created The DAISY Foundation to honor nurses who go above and beyond for their patients.
Recognized in 40 countries and territories, the Foundation has honored 220,000+ nurses across 6,500+ healthcare organizations and schools of nursing, with more than 2.5 million nominations submitted by patients, families and colleagues. The award not only recognizes nurses for exceptional care, but helps to inspire and engage co-workers, build team spirit and reinforce the importance of providing patient and family-centered care.
Between Jan. 1 and March 31, the following five nurses received DAISY awards. For their individual award stories and photos, follow the links below to The DAISY Foundation website:
- Emily Burkholder, constant care, Parkview DeKalb Hospital
- Katlin Heimann, flex team, Parkview Regional Medical Center
- Shelly Merz, CVOR, Parkview Heart Institute
- Jason O’Connell, CHT, Parkview Heart Institute
- Ashley Vaught, med/surg, Parkview Noble Hospital
“Being recognized with a DAISY Award was super touching,” said Heimann. “I was not going for any recognition, just providing care that I would want if it were me and my family. I had no idea that the extra time I spent with the patient and family would impact them the way they wrote.”
“I believe that every patient regardless of their diagnosis, medical history, any mental/physical disabilities should be treated like everyone else,” Burkholder said. “If someone you love is in the hospital, you want them to receive proper treatment. I’m honored that my patient and their family felt the need to nominate me for this award when, for me, I was just doing my job.”
In total, 86 Parkview nurses have been honored with a DAISY award since 2021.
“Congratulations to our winter DAISY honorees who were recognized for the excellent care they provide,” said Juli Johnson, chief nursing and patient services executive, Parkview Health. “So often, our nurses are surprised to be recognized, because what feels ordinary to them is actually the extraordinary levels of compassion, caring and attention that our patients see and appreciate. Our DAISY nurses stand as a great example of the high-quality care families can expect in their Parkview experience.”
For more information about The DAISY Award, visit daisyfoundation.org.
MEDIA ASSETS
Click here to access photos of Parkview’s most recent DAISY recipients.
Additional information for each recipient can be found on the award pages linked above.
Quotes from all recent DAISY honorees are available upon request.