NYC Health + Hospitals Recognizes 10 Nursing Professionals Across its Five Skilled Nursing Facilities for its DAISY Award & BEE Award Celebrations
The DAISY Award recognizes nurses for their extraordinary patient care; The BEE Award recognizes Certified Nursing Assistants for their exceptional and essential role in care delivery. All award recipients were nominated and selected by residents, families, and colleagues.
Oct 11, 2024
As part of its 3rd Annual Post-Acute Care Nursing Awards, NYC Health + Hospitals honored 10 extraordinary nursing professionals from across its five long-term care facilities, including five registered nurses nominated for the DAISY Award and five certified nursing assistants nominated for the in-house BEE Award. The DAISY Award, sponsored by the DAISY Foundation, is the international leader in nurse recognition. This award recognizes nurses or nurse-led teams who are experts in person-centered care, demonstrate integrity and compassion, and work collaboratively with their peers to achieve the best health outcomes for patients and residents.
In addition to the DAISY Award, NYC Health + Hospitals/Post-Acute Care has implemented a new in-house recognition program called the BEE (Being Exceptional Everyday) Award. It was established to recognize exceptional caregivers in supportive nursing roles including Certified Nursing Assistants, Patient Care Technicians, Patient Care Associates, and Medical Surgical Technicians. These individuals play an integral role on resident care teams, providing care that includes feeding, bathing, grooming, and taking vital signs such as blood pressure and temperature checks. Becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant is a great starting point for anyone interested in becoming a nurse.
“Our nurses and certified nurse assistants represent all that is good and kind in the world,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President of Post-Acute Care Khoi Luong, DO. “We honor them with the DAISY and BEE awards for the extraordinary dedication and compassion that they demonstrate every day. It is a tribute to their hard work, resilience, and unwavering commitment to patient care and advocacy, ensuring patient safety and wellness.”
“The DAISY Awards are an internationally-recognized honor that celebrates and expresses gratitude to nurses for providing extraordinary compassionate and skillful care to patients and families,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Executive Natalia Cineas, MBA, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, FALDN. “There is a strong and growing alignment between The DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize, celebrate and honor the dedication and commitment that nurses put into caring for patients and families, and NYC Health + Hospitals vision to serve the needs of the most fragile, vulnerable and disadvantaged members of our society. Our own internal BEE Awards extend this recognition and gratitude to the conscientious and steadfast individuals who serve in supportive nursing roles, honoring them for their valuable work as members of our care teams.”
“We are dedicated to giving meaningful recognition to our nurses and nursing staff, expressing our heartfelt gratitude for their untiring dedication and commitment to excellence,” said NYC Health + Hospitals Senior Director of Nursing Excellence/Research Annie George PhD, RN, NEA-BC, NPD-BC, CCRN. “These outstanding team members enhance patient- and family-centered care, making a profound difference in the lives of those we serve in Post-Acute care setting. The phrases ‘care and compassion’ deeply resonate with each of them, making them true role models.”
“The elite DAISY Awards and the new internal BEE Awards honor and recognize the compassionate, kind, and sensitive care provided each and every day by our nursing staff. They continually practice in an environment that embodies the true passion of Florence Nightingale,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Post-Acute Care – Chief Nursing Officer, Marian McNamara, RN, MSN. “They are all so deserving of their award. The future of nursing will surely be bright as they continue to advance the greatest of professions.”
The 2024 DAISY Award & BEE Award honorees include:
- Linda Robasson, RN – DAISY Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter
- Petrona Alexander, MST – BEE Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter
- Cufun Lai, RN – DAISY Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler
- Windale Palmer, MST – BEE Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/ Coler
- Evelin Aviles, RN – DAISY Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur
- Myrtle Benn, PCT – BEE Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur
- Sherlin Peters, RN – DAISY Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney
- Naromie Paul, PCT – BEE Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney
- Angelica Santos, RN – DAISY Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View
- Maria Catano, PCT – BEE Award – NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View
Honorees were nominated by residents, families, and staff who shared compelling stories about their day-to-day experiences with these compassion care professionals.
“With her energy and positive attitude, Nurse Aviles has managed to keep up the spirits of my 40-year-old husband who suffers from critical illness. As a young person having to stay in a facility with mostly seniors, she always puts a smile on his face and helps us navigate this difficult journey — she is a true asset to this facility,” said the wife of a Gouverneur resident.
“Congratulations to all of the DAISY and BEE Award recipients and a heartfelt thank you to Evelin Aviles, RN and Myrtle Benn, PCT for going above and beyond to care for our residents with kindness and compassion. You are truly leaders and mentors to our staff and greatly appreciated by our residents and families,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur Chief Nursing Officer Charleen Clark, RN, MSN.
“The DAISY and BEE honorees exemplify the qualities that these prestigious awards seek to honor. These individuals demonstrate exceptional clinical skills, compassionate care, and unwavering commitment to the well-being of their residents. They blend technical expertise with a heartfelt approach to provide remarkable care,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler Chief Nursing Officer Yves-Rose Pascal, RN, MSN, RAC-CT.
“McKinney’s honorees have a reputation of always doing more than required. They do what nobody else would, never saying ‘that’s not my resident,’” said NYC Health + Hospitals/McKinney Chief Nursing Officer Ann Whyte-Akinyooye, MSN-PH, GRN, RN. “The care provided to their residents is the epitome of the organizational values that we strive to uphold. Each day, they demonstrate integrity, compassion, accountability, respect and excellence providing a stronger sense of safety for residents and making them exceptional leaders amongst their peers.
“I am proud to work with our nursing staff, who are strong, intelligent, and compassionate. As evidenced by the nomination stories, our DAISY and BEE honorees work with passion and purpose when dealing with our patients and residents, consistently providing quality nursing care,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter Chief Nursing Officer Meriam Pineda, BSN, RN.
“Our nurses and certified nurse assistants always bring a radiating energy of positivity, compassion, and kindness to every interaction. Their roles are far more than just a job, it’s a labor of love,” said NYC Health + Hospitals/Sea View Chief Nursing Officer Dorothy McIntosh-Waddy, RN, CRRN. “Through the eyes of residents and families, these special individuals are earthly angels. Congratulations to all of the honorees, you are indeed — New York’s Other Finest!”
The nurses recognized are among the more than 9,000 nurses at NYC Health + Hospitals who provide care throughout the system’s hospitals, long-term care (skilled nursing) facilities, community health centers and neighborhood clinics, home care, and the correctional health system, throughout the five boroughs.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Rafael Dominguez, 646-694-4910
About NYC Health + Hospitals/Post-Acute Care
NYC Health + Hospitals Post-Acute Care is comprised of five skilled nursing facilities (SNF), a long-term acute care hospital (LTACH) and adult day healthcare program. There is a total of 2,099 inpatient beds in the SNFs and LTACH. Carter, Coler, Gouverneur, McKinney, and Seaview have all consistently earn Four- & Five-Star Ratings awarded by CMS. In addition, Carter, Gouverneur, McKinney and Seaview have been recognized by US News & World Report as one of the Best Nursing Homes in 2024 for long-term care and short-term rehabilitation; Newsweek ranks Carter, Coler, Gouverneur, and Sea View in the Top 10 of Best Nursing Homes 2025 in New York State; McKinney ranked in the Top 20. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/postacutecare.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About the DAISY Foundation
The DAISY Foundation was created in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of an auto-immune disease (hence the name, an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) Patrick received extraordinary care from his nurses, and his family felt compelled to express their profound gratitude for the compassion and skill nurses bring to patients and families every day. The DAISY Award celebrates nurses in over 5,800 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing around the world. For more information about The DAISY Award and the Foundation’s other recognition of nurses, faculty and students, visit www.daisyfoundation.org.