Licensed practical nurse (LPN) Amanda Coffman from Prisma Health Blount Memorial Hospital’s emergency department has earned the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®, becoming Blount Memorial’s twelfth recipient since the hospital partnered with The DAISY Foundation™ in 2020 to acknowledge extraordinary and compassionate care in the field of nursing.
Coffman received her DAISY award, a pin, a certificate commending her as an “Extraordinary Nurse” and a Healers Sculpture on Thursday, Feb. 27. She also added her name to Blount Memorial’s banner of DAISY recipients.
Coffman was nominated by a family member of a double pneumonia patient for helping put everyone at ease. “Amanda somehow made us feel calm about everything going on…and had such a wonderful attitude the entire time,” the family member wrote. “We felt he was in very good hands and that she truly cared about how he was feeling. She may have just been doing her job, but she does it so well and with such ease…truly one of the best nurses we have ever had."
“We receive inspiring stories from our patients every day, each raising up the tremendous care our team provides,” said Blount Memorial chief nursing and operating officer Joe Newsome. “Amanda’s ability to provide comfort when our patients are in their most vulnerable state is remarkable and speaks to the care our patients deserve and receive each day. Amanda’s caring attitude makes our entire team stronger,” Newsome added.
Blount Memorial’s association with The DAISY Foundation™ gives patients, family members, co-workers, visitors and colleagues the opportunity to nominate a nurse for the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide. Award recipients are chosen throughout the year by a hospital committee to receive The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®.
DAISY Award nomination forms are available throughout the hospital and on the hospital’s website here.
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System). The care Patrick and his family received from nurses 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.
About Prisma Health
Prisma Health is a private nonprofit health company with over 32,000 team members, 19 acute and specialty hospitals, 3,131 licensed beds, 320 practice sites, and more than 5,900 employed and independent clinicians across its clinically integrated inVio Health Network. Along with this innovative network, Prisma Health serves more than 1.6 million unique patients annually in its South Carolina and Tennessee service areas. Connect with Prisma Health on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter/X. Visit PrismaHealth.org.
