As a partner in the international DAISY Award program that recognizes the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care of nurses, OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center recently awarded its DAISY award to Julie Threadgill, RN.
Threadgill serves as a cardiac rehabilitation nurse in the rehabilitation department. She has been a Mission Partner (employee) for five years and resides in Ottawa.
The Sunflower Award, a recognition program offered to non-nursing staff with OSF HealthCare, was given to Doug Wisler, a Mission Partner for 28 years, who serves as the cardiac rehabilitation coordinator.
Threadgill and Wisler were nominated by Paul Bladen, a cardiac rehab patient, after his February 9, 2022, cardiac issue. The nomination included that Bladen was not feeling like himself when he arrived for his rehab session with Wisler. After some conversation and monitoring, Wisler brought Threadgill over to evaluate Bladen. It took some convincing, but Bladen was taken to the emergency department, where Threadgill stood by his side. He was eventually transferred to OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, where an angiogram showed a 90% blockage. A stent was placed, and the next day, Bladen returned home.
Bladen shared, "I realized that had it not been for the efforts of two amazing people, I might not be writing this report. At the very moment of that realization, Julie and Doug became much more than employees of OSF Saint Elizabeth. I thought of them as though they had been lifeguards, and I was the rescued drowning swimmer. I thank them for saving my life with great gratitude. I know they were just doing their job. That fact doesn't lessen their care, watchfulness, and assessment of my situation. My gratefulness to them for being truly concerned about their patient (a person they had met just a few weeks earlier) will not cease."
"We truly appreciate the compassionate care that our Mission Partners perform every day. The DAISY and Sunflower Awards are a way to recognize these dedicated individuals," said Jennifer Currier, director of rehabilitation service for OSF HealthCare Northern Region.
OSF HealthCare encourages patients, family members, and fellow staff to recognize caregivers who have provided exceptional care and service by nominating them for an award to honor their dedication. For more information about the DAISY and Sunflower Awards, or to submit a nomination, visit: osfgratefulpatient.org