Last week, SGMC unveiled a statue, called the Healer's Touch, which now sits in the main hospital entrance. The statue serves to raise awareness of the hospital’s DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing program and is a larger version of the ones given to honorees.

A little over two years ago, SGMC implemented the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nursing program. This program gives patients and their family members, or fellow nurses or physicians, the opportunity to
nominate a nurse who goes above and beyond their call of duty.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. 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.

SGMC’s DAISY program is led by a committee of members from various departments across the organization, who volunteer to bring awareness to the program, judge nominations and award honorees. To date, SGMC's program has received over 600 nominations and recognized 14 honorees.

DAISY awards are presented monthly in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients, and visitors. Each honoree receives a certificate commending her or him for being an "Extraordinary Nurse” and a beautiful sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa. Recipients also receive a bouquet of daisies donated by local flower shops.