OSF HealthCare Saint Clare Medical Center is pleased to recognize the 2025 DAISY Award winner, Biatris Escatel, RN. Biatris is a registered nurse on the Medical/Surgical Acute unit at OSF Saint Clare. Biatris was nominated for a DAISY Award for extraordinary compassion and skill during a profoundly difficult night. The nomination came from a loved one who spent the night at the bedside of a dear friend, newly admitted to hospice care.
“From the moment she introduced herself at the beginning of the shift, Biatris made me feel welcome,” the nomination reads. “The care and concern she demonstrated for the following 11 hours was phenomenal.”
The patient, suffering from metastatic cancer, had reached the end of her fight. Throughout the night, Biatris tended to both her physical and emotional needs, keeping comfort as the top priority. Her frequent assessments and quiet reassurance provided peace to the family during a time of heartbreak.
As the end of life neared, Biatris promptly contacted the patient’s husband and son, ensuring they were by her side for her final moments. “While we sat at the bedside, eyes filled with tears, holding our loved one’s hand, Biatris was a quiet, supportive presence. She allowed the privacy we needed, while also keeping us informed and addressing our needs with grace.”
Having shared that she had previously worked in hospice care, Biatris’s experience and passion shone through. “We felt truly blessed to have her that night. We believe God guided my friend to the hospital for inpatient hospice care and gave us Biatris for her final hours.”
“We are privileged to be affiliated with the DAISY Foundation. Patients and families can recognize our nurses that go above and beyond to make them feel safe and cared for,” said Heather Bomstad, chief nursing officer at OSF Saint Clare.
The DAISY Award program can be found in over 2,000 health care facilities in all 50 states and 14 other countries. 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). During Pat’s 8-week hospitalization, his family experienced the best in nursing care and compassion provided not only to Pat but to everyone in his family. One of the goals they set in creating a foundation in Pat’s memory was to recognize extraordinary nurses and to thank them for the gifts nurses give their patients and families every day, just as they had experienced.
The DAISY Award winner receives an award pin, certificate, “Healing Touch” statue, bouquet of daisies and a banner displayed in their department for the year.
From the nominations for the DAISY Award, a committee from OSF Saint Clare selects one recipient annually. To recognize an employee who has provided exceptional care, submit a nomination to honor their dedication at osfhealthcarefoundation.org/nominate-a-nurse.