Inova Alexandria Hospital Nurse Wins DAISY Award for Extraordinary Service

Staci Kilb Honored for Caring and Comforting Patients, Families

Alexandria, VA  – (May 1, 2009) — Inova Alexandria Hospital presented its second DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses to Staci Kilb, RN, who works in the hospital’s Neurovascular Care Unit (NVCU). Kilb was recognized for going above and beyond the call of duty for patients and their families.

“Staci strives to make a difference in her patients’ lives each day,” said Fran Charlton, RN, interim chief nurse executive, Inova Alexandria Hospital. “The DAISY Award program is just one way for us to recognize dedicated nurses, like Staci, who take the time to care for and comfort those who need them most.”

As part of Kilb’s role in the NVCU, she assists patients with brain injuries related to strokes, seizures, head trauma and other neurological conditions.

Recently, Kilb helped a family fully understand the diagnosis, medications and care required for a patient with a terminal condition. Over the course of several weeks, Kilb developed a strong friendship with the patient and his family. When the patient succumbed to his illness in the NVCU, Kilb spent hours by the family’s side, offering support and compassion as they dealt with the loss of their loved one.

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation, based in California, was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 at the age of 33 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses.

The nursing administration team selects a DAISY Award winner each quarter based on nominations from patients, family members and staff. The honorees receive a certificate commending them for being an “Extraordinary Nurse” and a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the African Shona Tribe.

All of the nurses in the honoree’s unit receive Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. This tradition came about from Barnes’ time in the hospital. One day he asked his family to bring him a cinnamon roll, plus enough for all of the nurses on his unit. Today, with the help of Cinnabon, the DAISY Foundation carries on this tradition by serving cinnamon rolls to all the nurses on an honoree’s unit.

Inova Alexandria Hospital is among nearly 200 hospitals and hospices nationally, and one of only several hospitals in Virginia, committed to the DAISY Award program. Since the program started in 2001, an estimated 2,000 nurses across the country have received the award. For more information about the DAISY Foundation, visit www.daisyfoundation.org.

Inova Health System is a not-for-profit health care system based in Northern Virginia that consists of hospitals and other health services, including emergency and urgent care centers, home care, nursing homes, mental health and blood donor services, and wellness classes. Governed by a voluntary board of community members, Inova’s mission is to improve the health of the diverse community it serves through excellence in patient care, education and research. Inova provides a healthy environment for its patients, families, visitors, staff and physicians by prohibiting tobacco use on its campuses.