Mather nurses honored with DAISY Awards for exceptional patient care
PORT JEFFERSON, NY – Two Mather Hospital nurses have received DAISY Awards, which celebrate the extraordinary compassion nurses provide every day. The award recognizes nurses by collecting nominations from patients, families, and co-workers.
Nicole Hoefler, RN, received Mather’s first ever DAISY Leader Award. Ms. Hoefler started at Mather Hospital in 2020 as Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab in March 2020 just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. Mather’s plan was to open the Cath Lab in May 2021.
Ms. Hoefler used her leadership skills and excellent communication skills to assist staff at all levels in all departments, while trying to build a new department, develop budgets, determine staffing levels, and help design the new facility in time for the planned opening date. Her efforts contributed to the successful opening of the Cath Lab and, subsequently, the Electrophysiology Lab. The Cath Lab recently received the American Heart Association Get with the Guidelines Coronary Artery Disease and STEMI Bronze Award.
“She is a leader who nurtures her staff and promotes professional development,” said Marsha Deckman, RN, Director of Clinical Professional Development at Mather. “She is compassionate and caring to her staff, to the interprofessional team, and to the patients and their family members. Ms. Hoefler demonstrates all the characteristics of an inspirational, collaborative, passionate and nurturing DAISY Leader!”
Stephanie Crispino, RN, a nurse in Mather’s Fortunato Breast Health Center, received a DAISY Award for her work running and reviving a breast cancer support group. The group was forced to stop meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms. Crispino was determined to get the group back together and had them meet outdoors as restrictions began to lift, eventually transitioning back to regular monthly meetings.
“She is an advocate for women diagnosed with breast cancer. She provides care and compassion when working within the interprofessional team during difficult situations,” said Marianne Kiernan, RN, Assistant Manager, Patient Care, for the Breast Center. Many examples came to mind where Stephanie has advocated for patients who have language barriers and provided services to assure continuity of care. In addition, many patients send letters and cards of thanks each month testifying to her dedication to this unique group of patients, following them for the course of their treatment, and often beyond. Stephanie always puts the patient first. One year at Christmas, she delivered food and a gift card to a woman undergoing treatment who was in financial distress.”
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About Mather Hospital
Mather Hospital is an accredited 248-bed, non-profit community teaching hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high-quality health care services to Suffolk County residents, showing compassion, respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones. Mather received the highest five-star rating for 2023 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for outcomes, patient experience and processes and has earned the prestigious Magnet® recognition three times from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, which recognizes healthcare organizations for quality patient care, nursing excellence and innovations in professional nursing practice. The hospital was rated high performing by U.S. News & World Report 2023-2024 Best Hospitals rankings in gastroenterology and GI surgery, geriatrics, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, heart failure, and kidney failure. Mather also was named one of America’s 250 best hospitals for 2023 by Healthgrades and received the Healthgrades 2023 Outstanding Patient Experience Award™ for the third consecutive year and received its 18th top A grade in the spring 2023 ratings for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group. Our Graduate Medical Education program prepares physicians for future careers through Internal Medicine, Transitional Year, Diagnostic Radiology, Interventional Radiology, and Psychiatry residency programs and gastroenterology and hematology/oncology fellowships. For information about Mather Hospital, visit matherhospital.org or follow us @MatherHospital on Facebook.
About Northwell Health
Northwell Health is New York State’s largest health care provider and private employer, with 21 hospitals, about 900 outpatient facilities and more than 12,000 affiliated physicians. We care for over two million people annually in the New York metro area and beyond, thanks to philanthropic support from our communities. Our 85,000 employees – 18,900 nurses and 4,900 employed doctors, including members of Northwell Health Physician Partners – are working to change health care for the better. We’re making breakthroughs in medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. We’re training the next generation of medical professionals at the visionary Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and the Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies. For information on our more than 100 medical specialties, visit Northwell.edu and follow us @NorthwellHealth on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
