Poma has been employed as a registered nurse in the OB/Nursery department for more than 22 years. She was one of 52 nominees for the Daisy Award this quarter.

“We truly appreciate the compassionate, merciful care that our nurses perform every day, and the Daisy Award is one way to recognize these dedicated individuals,” said Joy Hopkins, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer of Patient Care Services at OSF St. Francis Hospital.

Poma was recognized for her constant kindness and the compassion she shows to each and every patient.

“My husband and I would like to recognize and thank Kristina for her outstanding care and compassion during the birth of our baby girl,” said Poma’s grateful patient. “As first-time parents with a long, hard delivery, it is difficult to put into words how much of an impact she had on our experience and outcome. Kristina was with us for the complete labor and delivery process — her entire shift — and went above and beyond to get us through it. She never let me give up and did everything she could to make me comfortable and encourage me to keep going. She knew when I was getting discouraged and worked hard to keep me focused and moving forward. When offered to take breaks from other nurses, she declined and stayed with us. Kristina is not only an exceptional nurse, but she is truly an amazing person living the Sisters’ Mission. Thank you for taking such great care of us and bringing our baby girl into this world!”

Courtesy photo Above, referral coordinator and Sunflower Award winner Erica Russell, center, shows off her award. At left is Director of Physician Offices Matt Krause and Peggy Weissert, Practice Manager at OSF St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group is standing at right.

Russell joined OSF St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group three years ago and works as a referral coordinator. She was among 15 nominations for the Sunflower Award.

Russell was recognized by family members of a young patient. They said: “Sam needed to have an appointment with a new doctor as we are fairly new to the area. We stopped in to fill out medical release papers in Suite 203 and asked about getting familiar with the facility. Sam — being on the autism spectrum — had a lot of anxiety. Erica came out and met us, made copies of records we had, and showed Sam around. She went above and beyond in her effort to make Sam comfortable! Thanks!”

Lindsey Stearns, community relations coordinator at OSF St. Francis, commented on the Sunflower Award.

“The Sunflower Award is such a wonderful opportunity to recognize our non-nursing staff for the exceptional care they provide to our patients. It allows for patients to recognize the Mission Partner who provided a maintenance service that helped make their hospital visit more comfortable; the Mission Partner that served them a meal with a smile and uplifting conversation each day; or the Mission Partner like Erica- who played a vital role in making a young patient feel comfortable in a new situation,” she said.

An award ceremony was held to celebrate with the honorees, their co-workers, managers and administrative team.

Courtesy photo The first Thank a Caregiver Team Award was given to the OB/Nursery department to recognize the frequent and abundant nominations for their department for the DAISY and Sunflower awards.

“The work of our employees goes beyond providing health care to patients. They’re often providing comfort, compassion, and a listening ear. I see it each and every day and am proud to see the Sister’s Mission in action. The nominations from patients act as a great reminder that staff from all departments are making a positive impact on those we serve,” said Dave Lord, President of OSF St. Francis Hospital.

If you would like to nominate an employee from OSF HealthCare St. Francis Hospital & Medical Group for special recognition of extraordinary care, visit https://www.osfhealthcare.org/st-francis/amenities/thank-caregiver/.