SOUTHAVEN, Miss., June 12, 2009 – Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto recently recognized Jessica Mann, a registered nurse in the emergency department, with the DAISY award for Extraordinary Nurses, which is given in appreciation of the work nurses do.

Mann was nominated by a patient from St. Louis, who was rushed to the emergency room after becoming ill during her 40th anniversary vacation in Tunica. Upon entering the emergency department at Baptist DeSoto, the patient was put at ease by Mann’s caring attitude and willingness to explain the different tests and procedures that would take place.

Each month, Baptist DeSoto’s nursing administrators accept nominations and select a nurse to receive the DAISY Award. At a presentation in front of the nurse’s colleagues, physicians, patients and visitors, the honoree receives a certificate and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.

“Jessica is a perfect example of what a skilled and hardworking nurse should be,” said Mary Townsend-Gervis, chief nursing officer for Baptist DeSoto. “She truly cares about the well-being of her patients and is dedicated to providing all of her patients with the necessary information and support during their stay.”

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, an auto-immune disease. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while he was ill led to the creation of the DAISY Award. All the nurses in each recipient’s unit received cinnamon rolls because while Barnes was in the hospital, he once asked his family to bring enough cinnamon rolls for him and all the nurses in his unit.

Baptist DeSoto is a 339-bed hospital that offers diagnostic, surgical and rehabilitation services. In 2001, the hospital completed an expansion project that nearly doubled its size, expanded its labor and delivery services and added open-heart surgery and radiation therapy. In April 2001, the Baptist DeSoto Outpatient Diagnostic Center and Women’s Center opened, which houses DeSoto County’s first open MRI, mammography services and other diagnostic tools. In November 2006, Baptist DeSoto opened a new, 11-story tower, featuring all-private rooms, expanded operating suites and a new emergency room.

For more information about Baptist DeSoto, please call 662-772-4000 or visit desoto.baptistonline.org.

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