January’s DAISY Award honoree delivers extraordinary care with kindness, compassion

Jan. 31, 2025 -- This month's DAISY Award recognizes a nurse for extraordinary care provided with compassion.

January's DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses® at Reid Health was presented to Alex Reyes, a Registered Nurse for Medical/Surgical and Pediatrics.

Reid's program is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. Patients, families, colleagues, and community members can submit nominations for nurses to receive the recognition. A committee of colleagues selects the recipient during a blind review process.

A patient who received treatment for a serious illness as an inmate at the Wayne County Jail nominated Reyes for his genuine compassion, thanking Reyes for his kindness.

"Alex has been the utmost caring and outgoingly kind nurse to me through my stay and has made me feel like a human being again, which is a feeling I haven't felt in a very, very long time," the nominator said.

"He made me feel whole again in just the short amount of time I got to spend as his patient and from what I've read about it, I truly believe he deserves the DAISY Award."

Reid Health Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer Misti Foust-Cofield said every patient deserves compassionate care without judgement.

"Compassion in nursing goes beyond treatment. It restores dignity, hope, and humanity," Foust-Cofield said. "Alex's kindness reminds us extraordinary nursing is not just about care but about humanity and the impact a nurse can have on a patient's life."

Reyes joined Reid in August. He said the DAISY Award is an extraordinary honor to recognize the work nurses do every day.

As a nurse, Reyes finds joy in helping people in need. Patients are often at their most vulnerable and require more than just medical expertise — they need compassion and support.

"Most of the time we're also bringing in the emotional support, and we do what we can to help them smile, to look at this hospital stay as there's a brighter side," Reyes said.

Reyes added all patients are deserving of care regardless of their background.

Anna Osborn-Brown thanked Reyes for his compassion and dedication. "It's truly why we're here, to serve the people who need to be cared for, even if they might not feel deserving."

Awards are presented monthly at surprise celebrations attended by the nominator, honoree's colleagues, family members, guests, and Reid's administration team. Each honoree receives a certificate commending their work as an extraordinary nurse and the meaningful difference they can make in the lives of others.

About the DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Award is part of the DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. The DAISY Award was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family after he passed away from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.

To nominate a nurse for a DAISY Award, visit https://www.reidhealth.org/daisy-award.