RN recognized for compassionate care at CTMC

Ruth Cummings, RN was honored as the latest The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses winner at Central Texas Medical Center (CTMC). 

The award is part of The DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. 

“Ruth is an exemplary nurse that lives our mission every day,” said CTMC Chief Nursing Officer Catherine Amitrano. “Our wonderful nursing team strives to provide compassionate, whole- person care to every one of our patients.” 

Cummings was nominated by a fellow nurse after a patient letter thanked Cummings for going above and beyond the call of duty. The patient, who was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit, was deeply moved by Cummings’ compassionate care during a life crisis. 

The nominating team member reiterated this theme highlighting how Cummings encourages other nurses to stand up for their patients and co-workers. 

“Ruth never lets her co-workers ‘drown’ and exhibits the true meaning of a team player!” the nominator said. 

CTMC will continue to honor its nurses with The DAISY Award quarterly. Nurses may be nominated by patients, families and colleagues. The award recipient is chosen by a committee at CTMC to receive The DAISY Award. Awards are presented throughout the year at celebrations attended by the honoree’s colleagues, patients and visitors. Each Honoree receives a certificate commending her or him as 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 also receive a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called "A Healer’s Touch," hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. 

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. 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. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) 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. 

"When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night," said Bonnie Barnes, president and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation. "Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super- human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at CTMC are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.” 

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. 

CTMC originated in 1923 as Hays County Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Memorial Hospital. It opened at its current Wonder World Drive location in 1983. The CTMC staff of more than 700 employees works with more than 300 active and consulting physicians to provide quality services to patients and their families. For more than 20 consecutive years, CTMC has been named The Best Hospital in Hays County in the annual “Best of Hays” ballot released by the San Marcos Daily Record. In addition to interventional cardiac services, CTMC is a Certified Chest Pain Center and an accredited Primary Stroke Center. CTMC leads the region in da Vinci robotic-assisted surgery and offers a variety of specialty care services including medical imaging, rehabilitation, hospice, women’s services and more. For more information, visit CTMC's website. 

CTMC is a member of the AdventHealth. AdventHealth is a connected system of care for every stage of life and health. More than 80,000 skilled and compassionate caregivers in physician practices, hospitals, outpatient clinics, skilled nursing facilities and hospice centers provide individualized, wholistic care. A shared vision, common values, focus on whole-person health and commitment to making communities healthier unify the system’s 46 hospital campuses and hundreds of care sites in diverse markets throughout nine states.