June 3, 2021 – Southeast Georgia Health System recently presented
its first
DAISY Team Award® For Extraordinary Nurses to the Brunswick Campus
Emergency Care Center (ECC) staff in recognition of their resilience and perseverance to support
our patients and their families, our community and the Health System despite
the multiple unknowns caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic, all while working amidst a major
construction and renovation project.
“Our Emergency Care Center team provides amazing care for patients,
families and team members every day,” said
Christine Kipp, MBA, BSN, RN, CENP, interim Vice President, Patient Care Services. “Truly
it takes a village to run the ECC, which treats approximately 50,000 patients
annually. The staff never know who is coming, how many, or what type of
condition. They care for neonates through geriatric, minor illnesses and
injuries to critically ill and unstable. They must be ready for any combination
of the above at all times.”
Southeast Georgia Health System began its
Master Renovation and Expansion Project in 2018, which includes adding 12,000 square feet to the
Emergency Care Center for new patient registration, triage and waiting areas; main entrance
and lobby; nursing stations; advanced CT scanner; updated ambulance entrance;
increasing the 35 treatment rooms to 50 and adding two trauma rooms.
“With construction occurring in multiple phases, and different sections
closing and opening as construction progressed, the ECC team has had to
be nimble in their approach to patient care and flow,” explained
Kipp. “Through collaboration and teamwork, they strive daily to
adjust to the work flow and scheduling in order to meet the needs of patients,
going above and beyond to provide care and services.”
When patients began presenting to the ECC with coronavirus symptoms in
March 2020, it created additional work flow stressors.
“Every patient was potentially COVID-19 positive because so much
was unknown about the virus and its symptoms,” said Kipp. “Team
members needed to protect themselves from possible exposure with personal
protective equipment, including N95 masks, and social distancing. Exposure
was an ever-present risk both at work and in the community. To help protect
patients and team members from exposure to the virus, the Health System
implemented visitor restrictions, which was not always received well by
patients and visitors, causing additional stress. COVID-19 exacerbated
community needs for mental health and crisis support and the ECC team
did their best to manage the additional volumes even though community
resources were limited.”
Kipp concluded the DAISY Award announcement with, “Our Emergency
Care Center team members have proven themselves ‘superheroes’
for the communities and patients we serve. Without their spirit, dedication,
drive and leadership, the miracles our organization performs every day
would not be possible. Let this ‘pandemic’ journey continue
to inspire you to make a difference in the lives of our patients, their
families and other team members. We are very proud to recognize our Brunswick
Campus ECC with our first ever DAISY Team Award.”
In addition to receiving balloons and flowers, the ECC team received Grandy’s
Sinnamon® Rolls, donated by owners and siblings, Paul and Mary Kay
Spence, and a banner and recognition plaque for display in the ECC.
Created by The DAISY Foundation™—an acronym for Diseases Attacking
the Immune System—the DAISY Award was established by family members
in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes 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. The care Barnes 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 the patients’ family and friends.
Nurses can be nominated for The DAISY Award online at
sghs.org/daisy-award, or nominations may be placed in DAISY boxes located throughout the Health
System’s Brunswick and Camden campuses. A committee consisting of
Health System team members, including clinical and non-clinical staff,
leadership, medical staff and board members, review the nominations and
determine The DAISY Award recipient(s). Awards are given monthly throughout the year.