Baptist Union County Recognizes Nurses For Outstanding Care

NEW ALBANY, Miss., November 15, 2023 –Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union County recently honored two nurses with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, an award given in appreciation of the work nurses do.  Annika Arnold, RN, and Karlee Harlow, RN, both labor and delivery nurses in the Women’s Center, were nominated by patients.

Nurses like Annika and Karlee 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, Annika and Karlee each 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 for Annika, the patient stated, “Annika was a calming presence from the start.  It was her positive attitude and cheering that kept me calm and motivated and helped take my fears away.  Having her as my labor and delivery nurse completely changed my birthing experience.”

In Karlee’s nomination, a patient described some stressful moments during the birth of her third child and how Karlee sprang into action.  The patient wrote, “Her quick effort and determination are what I believed truly spared my baby and kept me calm.”

“It is truly an honor to recognize Annika and Karlee for their dedication and compassion for patients,” said Heather Reid, Chief Nursing Officer, at Baptist Union County.  “Their genuine concern for each mom and baby exemplifies what a true DAISY award winner should be.”

About the Daisy Foundation

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, sleep lab, maternity, robotic surgery, a 24-hour emergency department and diagnostics. The hospital also has PET/CT, 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 Outstanding Patient Experience 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.