Florida Hospital DeLand Recognizes Local Nurse with DAISY Award

DELAND, Fla., January 3, 2017 On Dec. 16, Florida Hospital DeLand recognized progressive care unit registered nurse Okema Grant with the DAISY award.

The DAISY Award is an international program that rewards and celebrates extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care provided by nurses. Grant was the first nurse at Florida Hospital DeLand to receive this accolade.

Okema received two nominations, one from a patient and another from a patients family member, and both nominations shared the incredible difference Okema has made in patient care, said Elisha Voigt, Florida Hospital DeLand director of critical care and nursing administration. Those who nominated Okema referred to her as a gift from God to watch over, heal and protect a patient during a very fearful health crisis and hospitalization.

Grant started her career at Florida Hospital DeLand as a new graduate and has quickly grown in her role.

She is a quiet strength in the department, always going above and beyond to help others, said Mary Jane Lindquist, Florida Hospital DeLand progressive care unit clinical nurse manager. She is a role model in the department, and we are so proud of her and what she has accomplished!

Created in 1999, more than 2,400 healthcare facilities in all 50 states, as well as 14 other countries, use the DAISY Award to honoring nurses.

Grant was awarded this honor during a special reception that her family and coworkers attended and received a $200 gift card, a vase of daisies, an award pin, a tote bag, and a hand-carved stone sculpture of the Healers Touch by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

Her unit, Florida Hospital DeLand's 20-bed progressive care unit (PCU) also received cinnamon rolls and a DAISY banner to display.

About Florida Hospital DeLand

Florida Hospital DeLand is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses and nearly 8,200 licensed beds in 10 states. With 164-beds, Florida Hospital DeLand is one of the six Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties that composes the Florida Hospital East Florida Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region has 923 beds and more than 6,000 employees. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region collectively contributed nearly $120 million in benefits in 2015 to the underprivileged, the community's overall health and wellness and spiritual needs, and capital improvements.