Astria Health is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Spring DAISY Awards for Extraordinary Nurses, presented at Astria Toppenish Hospital and Astria Sunnyside Hospital. These prestigious awards recognize nurses who go above and beyond in delivering compassionate, skillful, and patient-centered care.
The DAISY Award is part of a national recognition program established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, honoring nurses who make a profound difference in the lives of patients and families.
At Astria Toppenish Hospital, Chief Nursing Officer Melissa Waggoner, RN, hosted a ceremony on April 30 to honor nominees and announce this year’s award recipient, Jaime Record, RN, a House Supervisor. Jaime was nominated by the mother of a young autistic patient who experienced severe anxiety during a blood draw. Jaime’s patience, empathy, and use of a portable ultrasound to explain the procedure helped calm the child and ensure his care continued smoothly.
At Astria Sunnyside Hospital, Chief Nursing Officer Winnie Adams, RN, led the May 20 ceremony, held in the Family Birth Center’s waiting room. ICU nurse Kassandra Perez, RN, was recognized for her exceptional care of a patient battling stage 4 gastric cancer. An excerpt from her nomination reads, “She literally became family while caring for my dad. Every medication, every walk, every good and bad news—we got Kassandra. She was there to help us through it all, making the hard times no one wants to deal with more bearable. Kassandra—you deserve this award and more!”
Brian Gibbons, President and Chief Executive Officer of Astria Health shared, “It gives us great pleasure to honor the hard work that our nurses do every day through the DAISY Award program. It is gratifying to read the heartfelt words from patients and their family members as they recount the outstanding care that they received in our hospitals.”
The DAISY Award selection process began in January, with nominations collected through the Astria Health website and carefully reviewed by a multidisciplinary committee at each hospital. The online nomination form remains available year-round, allowing patients, families, and colleagues to submit entries at any time. While the spring nomination window officially closed on March 31, any submissions received after that date will be considered for the Fall 2025 DAISY Awards.
“We are honored to celebrate the compassionate and expert care our nurses provide every day,” said Astria Health Chief Nursing Officers Waggoner and Adams in a joint statement. “Jaime and Kassandra exemplify the values and spirit of the DAISY Award.”
Waggoner continued, “We are thrilled with the number of nominations our nurses received, and this truly shows the dedication and compassionate care our nurses provide day-in and day-out to members of our community.” Adams added, “Nurses are at the forefront of patient care, setting the tone for the patient’s experience. Every detail attended to by nurses matters. I am very proud of all of nurses honored with a recommendation for a DAISY Award.”
About the DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Foundation was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). The foundation honors the superhuman work nurses do for patients and families every day.
Astria Health, headquartered in the heart of the Yakima Valley, is a non-profit healthcare system based in Eastern Washington. Astria Health is the parent organization of Astria Sunnyside Hospital and Astria Toppenish Hospital, along with 20 outpatient clinics offering primary care and specialty services, including but not limited to behavioral health, home health and hospice, neurosurgery, oncology, podiatry, rehabilitation therapy, orthopedics, and sleep medicine. For more information, visit www.astria.health.
Posted May 28, 2025
