SVHC Announces DAISY Award Winner

BENNINGTON, VT—September 28, 2021—Emily Boysen, MSN, RN, CCRN, of the Intensive Care Unit, was the August recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses at Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC).

“Emily understands that expert clinical skills are only half of what her patients need,” said Pamela Duchene, PhD, APRN, SVHC’s chief nursing officer and vice president for Patient Care Services. “They also need sensitivity and compassion, and Emily takes the extra time to ensure they feel cared for.”

Duchene presented the award during a surprise presentation in the Intensive Care Unit at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC).

Boysen was nominated by a patient who had been in her care for 7 days.

“She eased my fears and gave me the hope and strength to fight and not give up,” the patient remembered. “She takes that extra little bit of time to make sure you’re comfortable and at ease.”

Boysen has been employed in the ICU at SVMC for about a year. She previously worked at Boston Children’s Hospital. She received her bachelor’s in nursing from the University of New Hampshire and a master’s in nursing education from Western Governors University in Utah. In addition, she is certified by the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and serves on the organization’s Mobility and Falls Taskforce.

"It is very exciting to be recognized," said Boysen. "The patient needed a little extra reassurance, and I am happy that I could provide it for her."

The DAISY Award is part of a national merit-based recognition program established by the DAISY Foundation. It celebrates nurses’ education, training, and skill. Nominations can be submitted by patients, families, physicians, and colleagues. All nominations are blinded, so that they are anonymous before being reviewed by a selection committee. One nurse is then chosen as the DAISY Award winner. DAISY Awards are presented on a regular basis, usually bi-monthly or quarterly.

About SVHC:
Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) is a comprehensive, preeminent, health care system providing exceptional, convenient, and affordable care to the communities of Bennington and Windham Counties of Vermont, eastern Rensselaer and Washington Counties of New York, and northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts. SVHC includes Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, the Centers for Living and Rehabilitation, and the SVHC Foundation. SVMC includes 25 primary and specialty care practices.

Southwestern Vermont Health Care is among the most lauded small rural health systems in the nation. It is the recipient of the American Hospital Association’s 2020 Rural Hospital Leadership Award. SVMC ranked fourth nationwide for the value of care it provides by the Lown Institute Hospital Index and is a five-time recipient of the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence. It has also received the highest marks possible from the Leapfrog Group. 

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center provides exceptional care without discriminating on the basis of an individual’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, language, physical or mental disability, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression. Language assistance services, free of charge, are available at 1-800-367-9559.