Nick Ortiz, RN, Receives DAISY Award for Extraordinary Care at Ozarks Healthcare

Ozarks Healthcare is proud to recognize Nick Ortiz, RN, in its Intensive Care Unit (ICU), as the latest recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Ortiz was nominated for the award after going above and beyond to care for a patient in crisis. When traditional treatments were proving ineffective, and intubation was being considered, Ortiz asked for another chance to make a difference. He spent his entire shift with the patient - calm, compassionate, and unwavering in his dedication. By the end of the day, the patient had improved significantly, walking the halls alert and calm.

“Nick didn’t just treat symptoms - he truly saw the person behind them,” his nomination read. “He gave a level of care that changed the entire trajectory of this patient’s experience. It was remarkable.”

The DAISY Award is a nationwide program that honors the exceptional clinical skill and compassionate care nurses provide every day. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who passed away from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP). The care Barnes received from nurses during his illness inspired his family to create the foundation to honor extraordinary nursing professionals.

Ozarks Healthcare would also like to thank FNBC for becoming the newest sponsor of its DAISY Award program. Their support helps ensure nurses like Nick continue to be recognized for their vital impact on patients’ lives.

Members of the public, including patients, visitors, nurses, physicians, and Ozarks Healthcare staff, may nominate a deserving nurse by completing a nomination form online at www.ozarkshealthcare.com/your-visit/ or picking one up at locations throughout Ozarks Healthcare’s hospital.

Ozarks Healthcare is a not-for-profit health system that serves more than 160,000 residents across south-central Missouri and northern Arkansas. With its main campus residing in West Plains, Missouri, the health system offers a full spectrum of healthcare for all ages through its 114-bed hospital, behavioral health, therapies, pharmacies, rehabilitation, and home care services, along with specialty and family medicine clinics. Ozarks Healthcare has rural locations across an eight-county service area and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations.

Nick Ortiz, RN in Ozarks Healthcare’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU), is the latest recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Ozarks Healthcare.