Evangelical Community Hospital Awards DAISY Honor for Nursing Excellence to Callie Kleinman, RN

Callie Kleinman, RN, was presented the DAISY Award on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. The award is presented to a deserving nurse who exemplifies clinical expertise and compassionate care and is recognized as a role model in the nursing community.

Kleinman was nominated for the award by a patient, Jennifer Gardner, who was admitted to the Hospital and treated by Kleinman. Kleinman was presented the award surrounded by her fellow coworkers, Hospital and Nursing leadership, as well as her husband and children.

In the nomination, Gardner shared more about Kleinman, stating, “Nurse Callie quite literally saved my life.”

Gardner continued, “We were discussing possible discharge when Callie decided to check my vitals, even though I wasn’t scheduled for another vitals check for several hours. When she checked my heart with her stethoscope, she looked at me with concerned eyes and said ‘Jenn, are you feeling ok?’ ‘No chest pain, fluttering, or shortness of breath?’ I said no, nothing at all. It turned out I was in A-fib. Seems as though my blood infection affected my heart but I had no symptoms whatsoever.”

Gardner finished her nomination saying, “Callie listened to her instincts and discovered my condition while I was still admitted, which is right where I needed to be for treatment! She is a blessing and I truly believe she saved my life that afternoon.”

Kleinman has been an Evangelical employee serving as an RN in the Hospital’s inpatient Center for Orthopaedics since October 2021.

The DAISY Foundation was established in 1999 in California by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 from complications of an auto-immune disease. During his eight-week hospital stay, his family was impressed by the care and compassion his nurses provided, not only to him but to everyone in the family. They created the DAISY Award in his memory to recognize those nurses who make a big difference in the lives of so many people.

Evangelical is proud to be a DAISY Award partner. Nurses are nominated by patients, family members of patients, as well as other healthcare professionals. Nominations are presented for consideration through a process of anonymity. The winner is then selected by a board of healthcare workers. Each DAISY Award Honoree is given a DAISY Award pin, a certificate of honor, a gift card from Service First Federal Credit Union, and a stone sculpture entitled, A Healer’s Touch, handcrafted by a tribe in Zimbabwe.

Nominations for the DAISY award can be made by patients, patient family members, colleagues, and providers. If an Evangelical Community Hospital nurse has displayed extraordinary clinical expertise and compassion, visit www.DAISYnomination.org/ECH and fill out a nomination form.