Starr Regional Medical Center announced today that Chris Brackett, RN, has been named the recipient of The DAISY Award for the second quarter of 2025. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is a recognition program honoring “the super-human work nurses do for patients and families every day.” Nominations for the award may be submitted by anyone who experiences or observes extraordinary, compassionate care being provided by a nurse.

“It is always a privilege to present the DAISY Award to one of our outstanding nurses,” said Deborah Vaughn, RN, MSN, Chief Nursing Officer at Starr Regional Medical Center. “This time, I’m especially honored to recognize Chris—not only for his clinical excellence, but for the genuine love and care he shows to every patient. Chris chose nursing because he truly cares about people, and that passion shines through in everything he does.”

Brackett serves on the Medical-Surgical Unit, where his dedication and kindness have made a lasting impact on patients and their families. His commitment to nursing is deeply rooted in a sense of pride and purpose, and he views his role as a meaningful way to give back to the community he calls home.

“Chris is exactly what this award represents—extraordinary,” Vaughn added. “His compassion is felt not only by those he cares for, but also by all of us who have the privilege of working alongside him.”

The DAISY Award nomination submitted on Brackett’s behalf stated, “[My dad] has been a patient at many different hospitals and encountered many different nurses. For us to have already been discharged and my dad is still talking about him says a lot. [Chris] quickly addressed all needs, including pain, without making us feel like we bothered him. He made my dad feel comfortable and you could see in his work he is here for the ‘right reason’.” The nominator went on to include, “I have always been afraid to leave [my dad] at night due to his diagnosis, but Chris made me feel at ease and was always available to speak to me if I called to check on my dad. The last night I was leaving, he stopped me in the hallway to check on me just to see if I was ok. He listened and shared his personal experience with hospice … He is by far the best nurse I have ever dealt with.”

The DAISY Award honorees are selected by a committee of nurses at Starr Regional Medical Center who thoroughly review and consider each nomination. The presentation of the award is a surprise and takes place in the presence of the nurse's colleagues, patients and visitors. Each honoree receives a certificate commending her or him for being an "Extraordinary Nurse." The certificate reads: "In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people." Honorees are also given a sculpture called “A Healer's Touch,” which is hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation, based in Glen Ellen, Calif., was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who 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 patient families. For more information about the DAISY Foundation, visit DAISYFoundation.org.

If you would like to nominate a nurse for the DAISY Award, forms are available in the hospital common areas as well as the nursing units on Starr Regional Medical Center's Athens and Etowah campuses. Nomination forms may also be found online at StarrRegional.com/daisy-award. The DAISY Award program is open to nurses only, such as LPNs, RNs, and nurse practitioners. If non-nurses receive a nomination, they will be recognized separately from The DAISY Award program.