Local Hospital Honors Nurses and Support Staff for Excellence

San Juan Regional Medical Center on November 10, 2025 named its latest DAISY Award recipients and presented the first BEE Awards to support staff, according to a hospital news release. Nurses Sara Barry from the Childbirth Unit and Laurel Martin in wound care received DAISY recognition after patients nominated them for outstanding clinical skill and advocacy. Kathy Coleman, also listed as Cathy Coleman in the release, and Evette Craine were named the inaugural BEE Award recipients for exceptional performance and compassion among patient care support staff.

The hospital described the kinds of nominations that led to the awards. New mothers praised labor support as a reason they nominated a childbirth nurse, and a wound care patient credited advocacy that prevented a premature transfer to another facility. Those examples were cited by the hospital to illustrate the direct impact bedside caregivers and support staff can have on patient outcomes and comfort.

The DAISY Awards celebrate nursing excellence and are based on patient nominations that describe how nurses made a difference during clinical encounters. The BEE Awards, short for Being Exceptional Every day, are a new program designed to recognize the contributions of patient care support staff whose work is essential to daily hospital operations and patient well being. By adding the BEE Awards, the hospital broadened its recognition program to ensure nonclinical team members receive public acknowledgment for their role in patient care.

For San Juan County residents the awards are more than ceremonial. They put a spotlight on individual staff who provide labor support, wound care, advocacy, and everyday assistance, all services that influence whether patients feel safe and well cared for during hospital stays. Highlighting these successes may also help the hospital retain experienced staff and encourage recruitment in a tight health care labor market, which affects availability of local services and continuity of care.

The hospital release invited members of the public to submit nominations for future DAISY and BEE Awards, offering a way for patients and family members to recognize caregivers who made a meaningful difference. As the community continues to rely on San Juan Regional Medical Center for a range of services, these awards serve as a reminder that individual acts of clinical skill and compassion contribute directly to the quality of care available locally.