Franciscan Health nurse receives Daisy Award

Josie Gallardo is this month’s Franciscan Health Olympia Fields DAISY Award winner. Gallardo has been a practicing registered nurse for 27 years, and has been employed in the Franciscan Health Telemetry Department for 13 years.

Gallardo received the Daisy Award after being nominated by a patient.

“Josie always had time to make me feel special. She cares a lot about people,” her nominator said. “She could tell when I was feeling down. She would give me a hug and I knew I was going to be alright... She is an unbelievable person and nurse.”

As part of her award, Josie Gallardo, a Steger resident, received a DAISY award pin, The Healer's Touch sculpture, a DAISY Award certificate and a box of Cinnabon cinnamon rolls to share with coworkers. Funding for the Franciscan Health Olympia Fields DAISY award is provided by the Franciscan Health Foundation.

About the DAISY Award

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses is an internationally recognized honor that was established in 1999 via the DAISY Foundation by members of the family of Patrick Barnes. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. Patrick Barnes was a 33-year-old husband and father of an infant daughter who died eight weeks after being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease idiopathic thrombocytopenia. The award was established to honor what his family perceived to be extraordinary kindness and compassion by the nurses caring for him during his illness. Cinnabon’s are given because when Patrick was too ill to have an appetite, at one point he was able to eat a Cinnabon his father had brought, and Patrick requested that Cinnabon’s be brought in the next day for not just him, but for the nurses as a thank you for their care. More information about the award can be found at https://www.daisyfoundation.org.

Submitted by Robyn Ali, Marketing Specialist, Franciscan Health Olympia Fields, Marketing and Public Relations Department robyn.ali@franciscanalliance.org