Leah Cannon is TidalHealth Nanticoke’s November Daisy Award Recipient

TidalHealth Nanticoke is pleased to announce that Leah Cannon, RN, of the Medical Surgical Unit (MSU), has been selected as its Daisy Award recipient for November 2023.

Cannon’s nomination, below, was written by the family of a recent patient to acknowledge the exceptional care and compassion she and her team provided during the patient’s final days:

“I just want to write a few words of thanks to TidalHealth Nanticoke’s MSU team for the care they provided to our uncle and dear friend during his extended stay in your unit earlier this year.

After being transferred from a rehabilitation facility to TidalHealth Nanticoke, his condition continued to deteriorate and he decided to go on hospice care. His caregivers and the many friends and family who visited him during his time at TidalHealth Nanticoke greatly appreciated the compassionate care given to him and the kindness exhibited to both him and his visitors.

In particular, I want to recognize nurse, Leah Cannon, whom many of my family members and his other visitors commended for the exceptional care she provided and her kind and professional attitude. She and the MSU team went above and beyond during his final days to make sure he was comfortable and that his visitors were accommodated as needed.

It takes a special kind of person to work in the field of nursing and we greatly appreciate everything the MSU team did for our uncle and dear friend. He was always a kind and giving soul and made a significant, positive impact on hundreds of people throughout his life — likewise, the kindness and positive impact you had on him along with his family and friends will not be forgotten. There will never be enough words to express our thanks, but as we strive to continue his legacy of encouragement and kindness, we wanted to ensure you were all thanked and recognized. Thank you!”

Cannon was recently honored with the Daisy Award in a ceremony before her colleagues. She received certificates commending her for being an extraordinary nurse, and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon autoimmune disease.

The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.