SVMC honors two nurses with DAISY and PETAL awards

Left to right: DAISY Award Recipient Jim Follett, RN and PETAL Award Recipient Adam Mann, LNA

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) recently bestowed honors on two members of their nursing team. Jim Follett, RN was awarded the organization’s June DAISY award while Adam Mann, LNA, received the PETAL award.

According to Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN, SVMC’s chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services, both awards are part of a national merit-based recognition program that recognizes individuals based on nominations submitted by patients, families, physicians, and colleagues.

A member of SVMC’s emergency department nursing team, Follett received two nominations that recognized the compassion and concern he showed for both patients and their families during a stressful time. One patient noted, “My nurse made me feel comfortable and cared for immediately. His level of consideration for his patients is beyond helpful and his medical knowledge is extensive. I was so incredibly grateful for him …”

Duchene adds, “Jim is a talented and compassionate nurse. He creates a caring experience that truly makes a difference during stressful emergency visits.”

A graduate of Vermont Technical College, Follett began his healthcare career at Brattleboro Retreat before joining SVMC at the Deerfield Valley campus. He later joined the MedSurg team at the hospital and is now a valued member of the Emergency Department. Upon learning of the DAISY award, Follett said, “What makes this award so special is that it comes from the patient’s experience. I feel very honored to receive this award”

The winner of the PETAL Award, which stands for Performing Exceptional Tasks and Affirming Lives, Adam Mann, LNA, was recognized for his exceptional demonstration of teamwork and empathy during a rapid response call. A grateful patient noted that Adam's calming presence and critical assessment of an unfolding situation was reassuring to the patient as well as his co-workers.

Duchene notes, “Adam has an amazing way of making all patients feel comfortable. He provides the support needed for patients and does a terrific job of showing initiative in prioritizing during difficult clinical situations, such as the one included in his nomination for the PETAL award.”

Honored to receive the award, Mann states, “The award says a lot about the culture at SVMC. The organization has many individuals that serve as great role models, each having their own attributes that help serve our patients. I think the award is about, doing your best, being a role model, and helping others learn.”

Mann joined SVMC in 2018 as a Patient Safety Associate. He subsequently earned his LNA and works in the MedSurg unit while pursuing his LPN through Vermont University.

Nominations for both the DAISY and PETAL awards are blinded, so that they are anonymous before being reviewed by a selection committee. One nurse is then chosen for each award, which are presented on a regular basis, usually bi-monthly or quarterly.

About SVMC:Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), a member hospital of Dartmouth Health, is a comprehensive, preeminent, healthcare system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVMC includes Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the SVHC Foundation, as well as 25 primary and specialty care practices.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center is among the most lauded small rural health systems in the nation. It is the recipient of the American Hospital Association’s 2020 Rural Hospital Leadership Award. In addition, SVMC is a five-time recipient of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. The health system is fortunate to have the support of platinum-level corporate sponsor Mack, a leading supplier of contract manufacturing services and injection molded plastic parts based in Arlington, VT.

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center provides exceptional care without discriminating on the basis of an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.

About Dartmouth Health: Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and the state’s largest private employer, serves patients across northern New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,000 providers in almost every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH, as well as across its wide network of hospitals, clinics and care facilities. DHMC is consistently named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers in the nation, and the only such center in northern New England; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital and multiple locations around the region; member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene and New London, NH, and Windsor, VT; and Visiting Nurse and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire; and more than 24 clinics that provide ambulatory and specialty services across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its historical partnership with Dartmouth and the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually, and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials recognized across the globe with Geisel and the White River Junction VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT. Dartmouth Health and its more than 13,000 employees are deeply committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in our communities, and to providing each of our patients with exceptional, personal care.

Source: SVMC. BENNINGTON, VT—August 3, 2023.