Hershey names Swetland, Machamer-Zimmerman 2020 September, October DAISY Award winners

Hershey Medical Center presented the 2020 September and October DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Awards to Karen Swetland, Medical Intermediate Care Unit, and Danielle Machamer-Zimmerman, Contingency Pool.

The accolade recognizes nurses for their skillful, compassionate care and their daily support of patients and families.

A colleague nominated Swetland and praised her for always going above and beyond in her work. She highlighted Swetland’s efforts to build a relationship with a difficult family member of a long-term patient. Swetland stepped in to take care of the patient, volunteering for the assignment to buffer coworkers from the stressful situation. She also helped her nominator with a severely sick patient, helping with everything from skin assessments to intubation. She assumed responsibility for an additional patient so that her colleague could focus on her most serious case.

“Karen is one of the most genuine and compassionate nurses I know,” the colleague said. “She has a wonderful energy and personality that is truly contagious. She always puts her patients and coworkers first.”

Machamer-Zimmerman was nominated for the support she provided to an older Parkinson’s patient who was admitted following a car accident. The patient was distraught about his 17-year-old blind miniature poodle at home. Machamer-Zimmerman, who had grown up in the patient’s hometown, was able to get access to his home and took the dog to her house. She called the patient to give him updates and also contacted the insurance company to start a claim for his accident. Machamer-Zimmerman, along with her children and the dog, drove the hour to the Medical Center to get the patient and take him home. She continued to follow up on his needs.

Machamer-Zimmerman’s nominator wrote, “This is simply an amazing example of caring for the whole patient (including their pets) and answering the call, even from home.”

DAISY Award Mission

The DAISY Award was created in memory of Patrick Barnes who died at age 33 of complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura. The DAISY Foundation was established by his family to keep his spirit alive. Its primary mission is to express gratitude to nurses for the work they do for patients and their families every day. 

Who Can Nominate

Winners are nominated by staff members, patients and their families and selected by Hershey Medical Center’s Patient- and Family-Centered Care Advisory Council. See the award application and past winners on the Nursing Infonet site. Contact Kris Reynolds at 717-531-7025 with any questions.

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