Athens, Texas (July 9, 2024) — Emilee Drozd, RN, recently received the DAISY Award for outstanding patient care at UT Health Athens.
Emilee was nominated for the award by a former patient and her husband, who wrote in the nomination letter that, “God used Emilee to serve my wife and I through the delivery of our miscarried baby boy. God had his hand on the entire process and used his child Emilee to assure us that everything will be OK. We will be forever grateful for her.”
He said they arrived at UT Health Athens to deliver their miscarried child and within two minutes of being assigned a delivery room, in walked Emilee. “The first words out of her mouth were of genuine heartache as she expressed her empathy for our situation. Her body language and facial expressions were congruent with her words; clearly this was more than lip service.”
From the time they arrived until they were discharged 10 hours later, he said, “Emilee was an instrument in thy Redeemer’s hands. She provided incredibly compassionate and comprehensive care for my wife. It was evident her presence was a calling and not merely a career.”
The nomination said Emily served the family after their baby’s arrival by capturing pictures, foot and hand prints, weighing him and dressing him for pickup by the funeral home.
“Emilee had a hard job and had to ask us difficult questions, yet her compassion and professionalism never wavered. She went above and beyond to support (us) through this challenging yet grace-filled day.”
As a winner of the DAISY Award, Emilee received a certificate, a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. Awards are presented throughout the year at celebrations attended by the honoree’s colleagues, patients and visitors.
The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 at age 33 from complications of an autoimmune 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. Today, this program has been implemented in more the 1,900 healthcare facilities, including UT Health East Texas.