Regional Hospital Honors Caregivers with DAISY and BEE Awards

San Juan Regional Medical Center presented awards this month to four staff members whose work drew nominations from patients, families, and coworkers. Nurses Sara Barry and Laurel Martin received DAISY Awards, an international nursing recognition for clinical skill and compassionate care. Patient educator Cathy Coleman and critical care technician Evette Craine received the hospital s new BEE Award, which stands for Being Exceptional Every day and is intended to spotlight essential support staff.

Hospital leaders said the awards were driven by community nominations, reflecting direct patient and family experiences. New mothers who wrote in praised Sara Barry for compassion and practical support during deliveries in the Childbirth Unit. A wound care patient credited Laurel Martin s advocacy for preventing a premature transfer to a nursing home and for actions that potentially saved a limb. Coworkers nominated Evette Craine as a vigilant advocate who improves workflows and lifts team morale. Cathy Coleman was recognized for her work educating and following up with pregnant teens and expectant families to help them navigate care and resources.

The DAISY Award is part of a global program that recognizes exemplary nursing practice, combining clinical excellence with human connection. The hospital s BEE Award was created locally to acknowledge support staff whose behind the scenes work enables clinical teams to thrive. By soliciting community nominations for both awards, the medical center aims to make recognition responsive to patient experience as well as to teamwork within the facility.

For San Juan County residents the awards carry practical meaning beyond praise. Timely wound care and patient advocacy can prevent costly institutional care and preserve mobility. Focused childbirth support and educational outreach for pregnant teens can reduce complications and improve newborn outcomes. Recognition for a critical care technician who improves workflow can translate into smoother, safer shifts for the entire care team, which benefits patients during emergencies and routine care alike.

The hospital encourages continued public participation in the nomination process and provides nomination forms online through its BEE Award nomination page. Public nominations help identify caregivers whose contributions might otherwise go unnoticed and reinforce community expectations for compassionate, competent care at the local hospital.

This coverage is based on reporting by the Tri City Record published November 13, 2025 by Lenora Lare.