Northwest Health – Porter honored two caregivers in May. Sierra Sweeney, BSN, RN, was the recipient of the DAISY award for exceptional nursing and Paul Brandfass, a nursing assistant, was the recipient of the PETALS award for outstanding support professionals.
Sweeney, an ICU nurse, was nominated by a patient’s family who wrote to thank and acknowledge her for her professionalism and comforting reassurance during their father’s intensive care stay. They shared that while visiting, they witnessed Sweeney acting quickly to handle a very scary and emergent situation with their dad. They stated that even though they saw her moving with a sense of urgency, she remained calm and was able to explain to them exactly what was happening. The daughter wrote, “It may have been a normal evening for her, but for us, it was one of the scariest nights; and because of her training, empathy, care and compassion, it ended with a much better outcome!”
Brandfass was nominated by his co-workers, the day shift nursing staff, who wrote that they had nothing but exceptional things to say about him. They shared that they feel so fortunate and blessed to have him watching over the hospital’s telemetry patients on their unit. In the nomination letter, they wrote, “Paul is phenomenal at his job! He is observant, knowledgeable and kind. He consistently goes out of his way to take the time to explain and educate everyone. He is truly a gem at Porter and we are so lucky to have him as part of our team.”
DAISY award recognitions honor the remarkable work nurses do every day – wherever they practice, in whatever role they serve throughout their entire careers. It was established to celebrate the extraordinary compassion that nurses, like Sweeney, continually provide their patients and families. Nurses may be nominated by employees, patients and hospital visitors.
The PETALS award honors non-nursing professionals, like Brandfass, for their exceptional skills and support. PETALS award recipients can also be nominated by patients, visitors and employees.
About Northwest Health
Northwest Health is a comprehensive healthcare system committed to providing communities in Northwest Indiana with high-quality, accessible healthcare—from highly specialized care and surgical services to more routine primary care. The system of more than 60 access points includes three hospitals, five emergency departments, urgent care centers, outpatient surgery centers, an ambulance service, and physician offices. Northwest Health – Porter is owned in part by physicians. A team of more than 3,000 employees work together with the more than 700 physicians on its medical staffs. For more information, visit NWHealthIN.com.
