Evangelical Community Hospital Awards DAISY Honor for Nursing Excellence to Katie Sassaman, RN, BSN

Katie Sassaman, RN, BSN, was recently presented the DAISY Award at Evangelical Community Hospital. The award is given to a deserving nurse who exemplifies clinical expertise and compassionate care and is recognized as a role model in the nursing community.

Sassaman was presented the award surrounded by her fellow coworkers, Hospital and Nursing leadership, her family, and Ellice Moore, who nominated her.

Moore praised Sassaman for the care provided to her during an experience with postpartum preeclampsia—high blood pressure after giving birth.

In the nomination, Moore, who found herself readmitted to OB with a week-old daughter for preeclampsia treatment while her husband was at home taking care of their son. She said, “I was alone, recovering from a C-section, with my baby, on an IV drip of magnesium sulfate that saps strength and cognizance.”

Moore continued, “Exhausted, sick, in pain, weak, hot, and everything in between, Katie, helped me nurse my baby by holding her in place, wiped my tears, and kept me calm. She reassured me all was well, and everything was fine. She listened to my fears and anxieties and took care of a tired, alone, scared mother and a brand-new colicky baby with extreme love, patience, and tenderness.”

In closing, Moore said, “I honestly don’t know what I would have done without Katie. She made the whole ordeal survivable.”

In addition to Moore’s nomination, Sassaman was also nominated by patient Christian Urquhart, who said, “She went above and beyond when I was in labor with my son, she didn’t hesitate to do anything and was on top of everything. She is an amazing nurse and checked on us constantly and our baby boy!"

Sassaman has a long history with Evangelical. She worked as an Obstetrics RN at The Family Place from May 2004 through October 2012. In February 2018, she returned to Evangelical to again serve as an Obstetrics RN for patients and has been fulfilling that role since.

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.