DAISY Award presented to Ozarks Healthcare ICU Nurse 

Cory Simmons, registered nurse (RN) from Ozarks Healthcare’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), was recently honored with The DAISY Award® For Extraordinary Nurses for the level of care he demonstrated to a local patient. The DAISY Award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

Simmons was nominated to receive a DAISY Award by Jeffery Harris and his family. Harris’s daughter, Hope Smith, is a house supervisor at Ozarks Healthcare and was able to read Cory’s nomination during his DAISY Award presentation, where he was surprised with a celebration with fellow staff members and the Harris family. The Harris family wanted to recognize Simmons for the care and attention he showed after a hunting accident that led to his stay in the ICU. Harris fell from his deer stand, broke four ribs, and had pneumothorax (a collapsed lung).

“My dad absolutely loved Cory,” Smith said. “He made my dad feel like he was a part of his own family. When my dad had orders to discharge, Cory made sure he got to his vehicle safely and took the extra time to make sure my dad’s crossbow was safe and secure. During my dad’s accident, his crossbow was tossed in the back of his vehicle. No one had thought to check it after the accident. We will never forget the kindness and compassion Cory showed – it made our family’s traumatic event so much better.”  

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

Members of the public, including patients, visitors, nurses, physicians, and Ozarks Healthcare staff may nominate a deserving nurse for his or her compassionate care and clinical excellence by filling out an a nomination form located online at https://www.ozarkshealthcare.com/your-visit/ or picking one up at several locations throughout Ozarks Healthcare’s hospital.

Ozarks Healthcare is a system of care encompassing primary care and specialty clinics, along with complete rehabilitation, behavioral healthcare, and home health services. While the 114-bed acute care hospital cares for more than 5,400 admissions, the entire health system has more than 364,000 patient visits annually in South Central Missouri and Northern Arkansas. For more information about Ozarks Healthcare, visit www.OzarksHealthcare.com.

Cory Simmons, registered nurse (RN) from Ozarks Healthcare’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), was recently awarded the DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award. Simmons was nominated to receive a DAISY Award by Jeffery Harris and his family after he became hospitalized at Ozarks Healthcare from a hunting accident. Pictured from left to right are: Kem Harris, Harris’s wife, Hope Smith (Harris’s daughter) and daughter Chole, Simmons, and Harris.

Cory Simmons, registered nurse (RN) from Ozarks Healthcare’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), accepts a DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award from Lacey Carter, Ozarks Healthcare Chief Nursing Officer (CNO).