Baptist Union Co. recognizes Ellen Melton for performance above and beyond expectations

 NEW ALBANY, Miss., – Ellen Melton, RN, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County, recently received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, an award given in appreciation of the work nurses do.  Melton, a nurse in the medical-surgical unit, was nominated by a patient and a family member.

Nurses like Melton are nominated by patients, families, and colleagues for the DAISY Award, and from those nominations, nursing leadership at Baptist Union County selects nurses to receive the award.

At a presentation in front of nurses, colleagues, and family, Melton received a certificate and a sculpture. The sculpture, titled “A Healer’s Touch,” is hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.           

In the nomination, the patient’s family member stated, “Ellen was a wonderful nurse to my family during the time of my Dad’s stay there.  Having someone as caring and empathetic as Ellen during our stay really meant a lot to us.”

In another nomination, a patient wrote, “Ellen brought a calming when she walked in the room.  It is very obvious that she has a calling, and that it is not just a profession.”

“It is an honor to recognize Ellen for her compassion and professionalism,” said Heather Reid, chief nursing officer at Baptist Union County.  “The dedication and empathy that Ellen gives to each patient truly makes a difference in the lives of our patients.”

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation, based in Glen Ellen, Calif., was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at age 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, an auto-immune disease.

The extraordinary care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill led to the creation of the DAISY Award.

Baptist Union County offers a variety of services, including adult and pediatric inpatient care, maternity, surgery, a 24-hour emergency department and diagnostics. The hospital also has 3D mammography, TeleHealth services and an eICU. Baptist Union County has an excellent reputation for providing quality care and recently earned an “A” Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group and the Outstanding Patient Safety Excellence award from Healthgrades. Most notably, Baptist Union County earned five stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for the hospital’s quality, outcomes, safety and patient satisfaction.

For more information about Baptist Union County, please call 662-538-7631 or visit unioncounty.baptistonline.org.