Marcus Selvidge, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center
Marcus is the heart and soul of Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. He is known for his clinical skills, drive for excellence and incredible dedication to providing quality care in our region. What sets Marcus apart is his wholehearted compassion and his ability to see people — both co-workers and patients — as unique individuals deserving of compassion and dignity. He goes the extra mile, and that makes all the difference.
He was also a flight nurse in southeast Missouri and a nurse serving after the Joplin tornado. As a flight nurse, the team had meet-and-greet days at schools. During one of the events, Marcus picked up a child from a wheelchair and carried him to the helicopter to make sure that this student received the exact same experience as the other students. After the Joplin tornado, he worked excessively to ensure that fellow Missourians had care. Additionally, he developed a medical alert system at his local church to provide emergency equipment to those who need immediate emergent care.
Deb Bersano, University Health Lakewood Medical Center
Deb is dedicated to the care of her patients, planning vacations around when she has the fewest patients due. Patients know she is going to be there. She delivers 95% of her own patients. Patient loyalty is high. Deb’s patient relationships are exceptional — they describe her as “amazing” and trust her to deliver. She delivers multiple generations of families. Her success has fostered an acceptance of midwives in eastern Jackson County, even as she continues to set the standard for personalized care for expectant mothers. More than 12% of the births at Lakewood Family Birthplace are delivered by nurse midwives.
Kristal Kanik, North Kansas City Hospital
Kristal Kanik, BSN, RN, CCRN, CEN, TCRN, is a seasoned and tenured critical care RN and Champion of Excellence in Nursing Care. Kristal excels in the delivery of high-quality nursing care and is committed to examining and supporting nursing care across her organization. As a critical care float pool nurse, Kristal is a go-to resource for other nurses, especially when their patients are in crisis. Kristal’s wisdom is on point, timely, evidence-based and yet often “out of the box,” which meets Benner’s definition of an Expert Nurse. Kristal is a key member of the organization’s Nursing Peer Review Committee that examines events to determine how to strengthen and/or revise processes and support those providing direct care to reflect in meaningful ways to grow in their nursing practice. Kristal role models both expertise and humility when guiding others to be their best nursing self.
Kristal has been a nurse for more than 20 years. In that time, she has repeatedly demonstrated dedication to patients and profession. Kristal’s three specialty certifications connote a depth and breadth of knowledge that she applies to caring for a highly vulnerable patient population. Kristal is an expert in the science of nursing, but she also personifies the art of nursing as evidenced by comments about compassion, connection and kindness in multiple DAISY nominations and awards. A family member’s DAISY nomination for Kristal blends both the science and art of nursing: “She [Krystal] is incredibly hard working and kind. She explains everything to the patient, what she is doing. She takes charge of the situation, attentive, gives you confidence in knowing your loved one is in excellent hands. She is the gold standard of not just nursing but being a good human being….”
“Kristal has extensive knowledge of emergency, rapid response and critical care,” said Abby Burstert, RN, BSN, CCRN. “She knows the standard of care. I guarantee anyone needing hospitalization would want her as their nurse. Kristal is passionate. She always advocates for the best interest of her patients. If she has a concern, she will make sure other clinicians share it.”
Rebecca Burger, Saint Francis Medical Center/Bootheel Perinatal Network
Rebecca demonstrates the mission and values of Saint Francis Medical Center and Bootheel Perinatal Network every time she engages with individuals. She is kind and thoughtful and works to empower and support those who feel they are often unheard and unseen. She shares her knowledge from being a NICU nurse and a home visitor with clients, allowing them to feel heard and educated on what will happen during their care. She talks to moms from a mom-to-mom perspective, which quickly puts a mom at ease and creates a safe space for conversation.
Rebecca is a walking, talking resource book; if she doesn’t have what you need tucked into her toolbox, she will be on a mission to find the information ASAP. She has the kindest spirit and a passion for moms and babies, thriving through respect, education and being heard. No matter what is happening in her life, she makes every client feel like they are her only focus for the day. She also received a DAISY Award in 2023.
Pam Lopez, Parkland Health Center
Pam goes above and beyond to care for all of her patients. She provides thorough education and detailed information. Pam always has a smile and often sings a tune. Pam is friendly, kind, supportive and a wonderful nurse. I look at Pam as a role model and I love learning from her!
Adam Carlile, John Cochran Veterans Hospital
Adam Carlile, RN, is a nursing supervisor who excels in leadership, passion and patient advocacy. Here are two examples that earned Adam a DAISY Award. One of our dementia patients was hospitalized. He had a daily routine that included drinking a Coca-Cola at bedtime. Our VA only stocks Pepsi products, and the veteran could tell the difference. The patient would become disruptive and un-redirectable from a change in his routine, so Adam, after handing off care, drove and found Coca-Cola for this veteran.
A nonveteran spouse accompanied her husband to the VA, when suddenly, she had a severe headache and coded. As nursing supervisor, Adam immediately left the morning report to assist. Adam pivoted to provide mentoring supervision and assistance. Upon hearing the prognosis of the situation, the distraught husband left his cellphone at home, with all of his children’s numbers. Adam coordinated to get the numbers. Adam stands out as a nurse willing to go above and beyond the usual call to duty.
Sarah Teemul, SSM Health Heart & Vascular Care
Sarah is a wonderful nurse and an even better co-worker! She does whatever it takes to help a patient and always has the patient’s best interest in mind. Patients come in and love to talk about her and how she helped them. She goes above and beyond with every patient interaction, such as sitting and chatting with patients who don’t feel good after a test, offering to push patients to their car in a wheelchair, and even staying late, if needed. Her cheer and helpfulness also extend to her co-workers. She is always willing to help anyone out, take time and explain something, and just be a smiling, friendly face in the office. She does anything to help make my job easier, especially if I am running behind schedule, and she always does it joyfully. She is a fantastic person and makes the office a better place.
Taylor Noe, Saint Francis Healthcare System
Taylor Noe, RN, is a labor and delivery nurse, who was a recipient of the DAISY Award. “Taylor is an amazing nurse. She is caring and does everything she can to ensure her patients have the absolute best experience,” one nominator describes. “Taylor’s presence, enthusiasm, warmth and excellent bedside manner make every patient she comes in contact with feel like they are right at home. Being first-time parents can be scary and overwhelming. Taylor always takes the time to help the patients and their family understand what is going on or what is going to happen next. She truly has the patience of a saint.”
Nominators also praise Taylor’s empathy and patient-focused care. “Taylor not only has vast knowledge and extensive expertise but shows compassion and understanding in any situation. She is the first to jump in and help in difficult situations or trying times. Taylor always goes the extra mile, and her patients truly love her. She is a team player and an excellent patient advocate.”
Kalyn Thurman, Saint Francis Healthcare System
Kalyn Thurman, RN, in the Intensive Care Unit at Saint Francis Medical Center, was recognized as a DAISY Award recipient. Her nominators describe her as empathetic, caring, patient, strong, kind and an advocate for her patients. “Kalyn is the kind of nurse I would want to care for me or anyone else in my family,” one nominator states. “When we come to visit my dad in the SICU and see her, we know, without a doubt, we can breathe a little easier since Kalyn is there, whether she is his nurse or not.”
Along with excellent patient care, Kalyn’s nominators describe her as an amazing team member and inspiration to fellow colleagues. “Kalyn has a strong clinical presence in the ICU and serves as a mentor for many new and experienced nurses,” one nominator describes. “She is a powerhouse at the bedside, always so kind, caring and supportive of not only our patients but our colleagues as well.”
Haley Strebler, SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital
Haley is the essence of a champion. Her compassion is well known. She developed informational material for our trauma patients and their families. Even though it is not part of her assigned duties, she finds time weekly to do family support rounding with her hospitality cart and offers snacks and an opportunity to talk. Her kindhearted nature is very appreciated by our patients, families and staff. Haley addresses any concerns and follows up with the family to assure issue resolution.
She also rounds in the trauma clinic twice a week to visit our discharged patients to offer support. She is an active member of our Mission Action team and leads our department in activities. This clearly demonstrates how Haley goes above and beyond her duties to compassionately support our trauma patients and their loved ones. She is always happy and willingly helps with any project. Her consistent and exceptional work demonstrates a true champion.
Payton Furry, Washington County Memorial Hospital
At 29 years old, Payton took on the role of Washington County Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department nurse manager during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She embraced this challenge and changed the culture of her department. Despite COVID-19 challenges, patient complaints and co-worker callouts decreased, and teamwork and co-worker engagement increased.
When the Med-Surg manager position opened, she saw an opportunity to improve nursing at WCMH. She volunteered to use her background as a Med-Surg nurse and serve as manager of both departments. This change improved not only the Med-Surg department, but also communication between nursing departments. She inspired more nurses to cross-train and work at the top of their license. Payton’s servant leadership fosters an environment of honest communication, meaningful relationships and accountability that can be directly tied to improved patient care at WCMH. Payton is truly invested in the lives of those she leads, and WCMH believes she is a true Champion of Care.
Ashley Huffman, Harrison County Community Hospital
We serve a rural community at a critical access hospital, and we are always looking for ways to keep our patients’ care close to home. I met Ashley Huffman when she was hired on as a specialty clinic nurse at Harrison County Community Hospital. She came with ICU experience and was comfortable with monitoring sedation and pacemaker patients.
I finally found a teammate to help expand MRI services to our small town! Ashley invested in my idea and became my partner when we sought to bring sedation scanning and pacemaker scanning as an option for our patients. She helped me present my idea to leadership, review protocols and policies, and spoke with our representatives of different manufacturers. She helped me and the radiology department achieve a goal we hadn’t dreamed possible. We have since helped many patients who did not wish to travel hundreds of miles, spend gas money or take an entire day off work just to have a 45-minute exam.
Drenda Hess, Mercy Hospital Washington
Drenda has went above and beyond my expectations of a good nurse at this hospital. My grandmother had Drenda as her night nurse for a few days. Drenda makes her laugh in the times she feels weak. Drenda is quick to come help if asked for and always checks in. Drenda makes my grandmother feel like she, herself, is in the best care possible, and Drenda has made that happen. Drenda has been great at communicating with all of us about my grandmother and has really made this very stressful time a lot easier. We are incredibly grateful for Drenda!
Vicky Hardy, Mosaic Medical Center — Albany
Vicky serves as the assistant director of nursing. She is a jack of all trades and a valuable resource for everyone. Vicky, as a new assistant director of nursing, led her teams through an EMR conversion, COVID-19 and major staffing challenges. She worked beside her staff, advocating for quality patient care. She focused on patient safety and best practices, ensuring positive outcomes. These tasks were challenging for seasoned nurse leaders, yet Vicky demonstrated resiliency, viewing it as an opportunity for personal and professional growth. She never gave up or sidestepped a problem. She faces each issue with courage and compassion, modeling behaviors for her teams.
She recently took over the local Time Critical Diagnosis program and immersed herself in all things stroke, successfully leading her team through the survey. She navigated that challenge just like each one before it with determination, perseverance and the will to take great care of her friends, family and communities. Vicky is a champion in everything she does.
Jessica Hoehne, MU Health Care
Jessica not only leads our successful neuro service line, but also helps us improve our support and retention of new graduate nurses at MU Health Care through program development and advocacy. Jessica leads two units with more than 50 inpatient beds with both ICU and general care level neuroscience patients. She also developed and implemented a nurse resident mentorship program that has been published and shared at three national conferences. Her program allows experienced nurses to be paired with new nurses and gives talking points throughout the cyclic interactions. It has helped new and experienced nurses develop their professional identity and has had measured results for both parties. She is also an advocate for nurses at the local and state level as she is a Nurse Advocacy Fellow this year with the Missouri Nurses Association. Taking on this additional charge has allowed her to learn the implications of legislation and find a voice that can be the driver of change.
Karen Butkievich, MU Health Care
Karen started working at MU Health Care as a CTA in 2008 “without a lick of experience.” Three nursing school rejections and the blessing of her son, Brayden, resulted in a pause in pursuing nursing school. That did not stop her from furthering her education. Karen’s unwavering faith and determination enabled her to overcome the numerous challenges she faced, and she was accepted to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Central Methodist University. Despite working full-time, raising her child as a single mother and caring for her sick parents, Karen pushed through and graduated in 2021. Karen now works as an RN on the Progressive Care Unit with the intention of starting her master’s or doctorate in nursing down the road. Since being a new nurse in 2021, Karen has taken on many leadership roles within MU Health Care’s Clinical Shared Leadership Councils at both the unit and system level. She is a driver of change and improvement throughout the organization.
Kindra Cox, Western Missouri Medical Center
As a dedicated patient care supervisor, Kindra has consistently demonstrated commitment to excellence in patient care, leadership and compassion for patients and co-workers. Kindra’s leadership skill is evident in her ability to manage a diverse team of nursing staff. She fosters an environment of collaboration and respect across the hospital departments. Kindra’s compassion is the cornerstone of her approach to patient care. She takes a proactive approach to problem-solving by looking for innovative ways to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Jane Young, Samaritan Hospital
Jane is the chief nursing officer at Samaritan Hospital. She has been a nurse at Samaritan for more than 30 years. She is always the first to jump in and lend a helping hand when needed. She keeps up on all the latest health care regulations and is the “go-to” for all of our staff. Jane has been nominated and voted by the Samaritan employees as Employee of the Year in both 2007 and 2022. I have never met a nurse as dedicated and deserving of this award as Jane. If you have ever worked as an employee of Samaritan Hospital or had a stay in our facility, you have more than likely had a positive interaction with Jane.
Lauren St. Onge, Capital Region Medical Center
Lauren is a dedicated nurse who takes great care of each and every one of her patients. Lauren is a charge nurse in the emergency department on the weekends; therefore, she not only provides care for patients, but also leads her fellow nurses to success during their shifts. Lauren has a husband and two children under the age of 5 years old, but that doesn’t stop her from successfully pursuing her career and saving lives! Lauren proves to be an amazing nurse and caregiver every single day — whether that be in the ED or at home with her family. Lauren truly is a champion of care!
Andrea Wilson, Lake Regional Hospital
Andrea is a true blessing! Not only is she an extremely intelligent and driven individual, but she is also a very passionate nurse. As a nurse navigator at Lake Regional Cancer Center, Andrea performs a variety of tasks, including navigating care for some of the most unique and difficult times in a patient’s cancer journey. She has a wide area of expertise but is always looking for something new to learn and encourages others to do the same. However, what makes Andrea truly remarkable is her love for her patients. She has a huge heart that is used to serve others. She incorporates care for mental and emotional health into care visits. She even goes so far as to deliver food in her own personal time to those in need around the area, even if she has to drive hours. Last November, she went to Guatemala on a medical mission trip to provide care for rural communities who otherwise have no access to health care. She truly makes both our local and global communities a better place!
Tiffany Taylor, Harry Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital
Tiffany goes above and beyond at work every single day, from always lending a helping hand to being there for emotional support throughout a tough 12-hour shift. She is ultimately an all-around team player. Tiffany goes out of her way to ensure her co-workers are being taken care of throughout a busy shift. Tiffany is always present, kind and simply an outstanding nurse!
Nicki Harriman, Mercy Hospital Washington
Nicki works at Mercy Hospital Washington, but in reality, she works for the entire community. Nicki wears many hats at the hospital and in the community. She has years of experience as a labor and delivery registered nurse. In her role on L&D, she assists moms, babies and families in a variety of ways. She is a certified lactation consultant who has a passion for helping women succeed with breastfeeding. Nicki offers prenatal consultations to set moms up for success prior to delivery. She assists moms in the hospital, holds breastfeeding support groups and offers a “Weigh-In Wednesday” community group for moms to check in on feeding and infant weight gain. She set up Mercy Hospital Washington to be a site for donated breastmilk. Nicki is also a certified child passenger safety technician, who gives families peace of mind that their children are in an appropriate seat and are loaded into cars safely. Nicki sets up car seat safety check stations and car seat distribution events in the community.