Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and Eckerd Living Center proud of DAISY Award winners
Every May, we take time to celebrate our nurses and the invaluable contributions they make, as well as their dedication to patient care. I can’t say enough about the many critical roles nurses play in any healthcare facility. They blend essential clinical knowledge and expertise, technical prowess, passion for teamwork and collaboration, and unparalleled collaboration to provide the highest caliber of care for patients. But most importantly, they bring caring and compassion to patients, their loved ones, and often each other in special ways, regardless of the situation. I know this to be true at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital (HCH) and Eckerd Living Center (ELC), because I witness it every day.
The DAISY Award is an honor that acknowledges clinical excellence and outstanding compassion in nursing, and spawned other awards, including the PETAL (Performing Exceptional Tasks and Affirming Lives, for patient care technicians), BEE (Beyond Exceptional Expectations, for all hospital staff who aren’t nurses) and Flower Bud (for nursing students) awards. It originated in 1993 as a result of parents Mark and Bonnie Barnes’ tragic loss of their son J. Patrick Barnes, at only 33 years of age, to Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). This is a blood disorder where the immune system incorrectly destroys platelets, leading to problems with blood clotting.
The DAISY acronym stands for “diseases attacking the immune system,” and the DAISY Award was created in order to express the Barnes family’s deep appreciation for the amazing nurses who delivered unmatched care to J. Patrick during a time that was very hard on them.
Anyone can nominate a nurse for the DAISY award, including hospital colleagues, grateful patients and their families, and even the nominee’s own family members. With the DAISY Award, this is a case when simply being nominated, let alone winning, is something to take great pride in.
The DAISY family of awards recognizes those nurses and staff who perform with exceptional compassion, clinical acumen, sound decision making, and more. Their highest priority is always the patient and the patient’s family, and when one witnesses this type of care in real time, it’s nothing short of inspirational. I have mentioned in my column several times in the past that people are called to nursing in a deep way. You don’t choose it lightly, and our DAISY winners perform to the highest standards of the healthcare industry at all times.
I am proud to announce the 2025 DAISY Award winners for Highlands-Cashiers Hospital and Ecker Living Center: Tina Rouse, RN for Highlands Cashiers Hospital, and Brooke Stewart for Eckerd Living Center. In next month’s column, I will share our other winners’ names.
I can say with certainty that our hospital and our community are so fortunate to have them in our midst, serving patients and families with profound commitment.
I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce our newest physician, accomplished board-certified orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Post. He comes to us from Raleigh, attended the Medical College of Ohio, and performed his residency at Indiana University School of Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Post has specific expertise with upper extremities, shoulders, elbow, and hand surgery to include microsurgery. He will see patients in our clinic at 57 White Owl Lane in Cashiers and will be operating at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital.
We welcome him to the region, HCH, and our community. His presence means that more community members can access in-demand orthopedic surgery services, right here and close to home.
Between our DAISY Award winners and the arrival of Dr. Post, HCH is poised to enter an exciting phase that continues to be defined by the highest level of advanced care. I am grateful to our community for relying on HCH for their healthcare needs.
Tom Neal, RN, MBA, MHA, is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of Highlands-Cashiers Hospital. Neal is a proven leader with more than 30 years of progressive healthcare experience. Prior to his role at Highlands-Cashiers Hospital, he served as Chief Executive Officer of both Berwick Hospital Center in Berwick, Pennsylvania, and Greenbriar Valley Medical Center, Ronceverte, West Virginia, which are each part of Community Health Systems (CHS). Tom has an MBA from the University of Louisville, MHA from the California College of Health Sciences, BSN from Regents College of New York and an ADN from Jefferson Community College.