LAURINBURG — Chris Whittington, LPN, has been recognized as a DAISY Award winner by Scotland Health Care System.
Whittington, who has been with Scotland Health for 35 years, is a Licensed Practical Nurse in Morrison Manor, the hospice house operated by Scotland Regional Hospice. He was recently honored by hospital executives and his coworkers for his commitment to caring for his patients as well as his teammates.
The honor is given to nurses who consistently demonstrate excellence as outstanding role models through their clinical expertise and extraordinary compassionate care at Scotland Health Care System. They are nominated by patients and families, physicians, and colleagues for the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
Whittington was nominated by fellow hospice nurse Jeanne Hardee. While her nomination highlighted Whittington’s kindness and exemplary care to his patients, the primary focus was the personal care that Whittington provided to her husband Danny during a life-threatening bout with COVID-19.
“After nearly 4 and-a-half months of COVID recovery, there were no rehabs open for Danny to have his service dog as well as visitor support,” shared Hardee in her nomination. “It became up to family to transport someone who could only move his eyes to outpatient therapies. I was so overwhelmed and made a phone call to Chris. For a year and-a-half he drove us, sat beside me after a twelve-hour shift and kept encouraging Danny to keep going. He is our award winner no matter who you choose.”
At a presentation in front of Whittington’s colleagues, physicians, patients and visitors, he received a certificate commending him for his work.
The certificate reads: “In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are, and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people.” He was also given a beautiful sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe of Zimbabwe, Africa. The sculpture is a staple of Daisy Award used to symbolize the relationship between a nurse and his or her patient.
“I’m right proud,” Whittington said at the closing of the presentation. “Thank you Jeannie. Thank you to all of my hospice family. I’m really moved.”
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, California, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick 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.
