Atlantic, IA – Cass County Health System is proud to announce that Tammy Wyman, LPN was honored with the DAISY Award on Monday, October 12, 2020.

Her nominators said, “I’m sure to Tammy it was just another day on the job, but to us, her empathy and warmth meant the world. Tammy’s passion for nursing comes through in her compassion for people. I want to thank her for making an extremely painful time, a little more tolerable. We left CCHS that day with permission to grieve a child we never knew, and that was a gift Tammy unknowingly gave us in and of itself.”

Tammy has been a nurse for 39 years, with the last 24 years spent at CCHS. It is her eleventh year of working with OB/GYN physicians.

“I am so grateful every day. God’s allowed me to work in this job and to make a difference in their world. I try to care for women like my own daughters, mother, and it’s so important that we don’t lose that sense of personal connection. I’m the first to admit that I’ve had times that I didn’t do well. I called and apologized and tried to make it right. I’m not perfect! But moments like this, I think ‘I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.’ [The award] is affirmation that there are days that go badly but you can still make a difference. Those valleys in life when you feel like you’re drowning—you pour out yourself into people’s lives in order to make their days better.”

Tammy was initially drawn to nursing out of a desire to make a difference in people’s lives, even if there are difficult times. “Not every day is a good day as far as happy things happening; there are really hard days. I’m privileged to do this, and to be around the people that I work with. I work with so many amazing women that do great things every day. It’s an amazing work family, and there is something to be said for that. We all want to do the best we can.”

Nurses at Cass County Health System are honored twice annually with The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.^® The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. The DAISY Award committee at CCHS wishes to thank all nominators for their submissions. Each nurse who was nominated will be presented with a special pin and a copy of the nomination.

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.)  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.

This is one initiative of The DAISY Foundation to express gratitude to the nursing profession.  Additionally, DAISY offers J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, The DAISY Faculty Award to honor inspiring faculty members in schools and colleges of nursing, and The DAISY in Training Award for nursing students. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org. An online nomination form is available here.