Outstanding members of the Ohio’s Hospice staff are recognized each quarter with Bouquet of Recognition Awards for Excellence. Honorees personify the qualities found in the mission and values of Ohio’s Hospice and are the foundation upon which a remarkable patient experience is built. These staff members consistently demonstrate excellence through their expertise and extraordinary compassionate support for patients and families. They are recognized as outstanding role models in the Ohio’s Hospice community. These are the recipients for the first quarter of 2022.  

DAISY Award® 

Two staff members were recognized with the DAISY Award®. Ohio’s Hospice is proud to be a DAISY Award partner, recognizing its nurses with this special honor, quarterly. At Ohio’s Hospice, DAISY Award honorees are nurses who consistently demonstrate excellence through their clinical expertise and extraordinary compassionate care.  

Cathy Whisman, RN care manager at Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties, was awarded the DAISY Award® for her empathetic care of a teammate’s loved one. She was nominated by Elle Bowman, RN Hospice House/IPU at Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties. 

When Elle’s father went into hospice care, she found that being on the other side of hospice care was different. She praised Cathy for the care she provided to her father and their family. Elle described Cathy as an excellent communicator who provided help and assurance. Cathy demonstrated patience, caring and compassion for the patient’s entire family. 

“Cathy was endlessly patient and showed so much compassion and care for both of my parents that I am eternally grateful for,” Elle said. “She helped guide us through the process and having her there helped me to be able to step back and grieve as a daughter.” 

Congratulations to Cathy on being recognized with the DAISY Award® and thanks to her for her support of the Ohio’s Hospice mission.  

Stacey Waters, LPN extended hours at Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio, was awarded the DAISY Award® for her care to her patients. She was nominated by Brianna Schuelke, APRN hospice and palliative care at Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio. 

“Stacey is an extraordinary nurse who gets sent out to very difficult situations,” Brianna said. “She encounters families in the various stages of grief. Her compassion and excellent communication with families allow her to assuage their fears, anger and anxieties.”  

She provides families with reassurance and answers their questions, building rapport with her patients and families. 

“Stacey is phenomenal at reading a situation and applying the necessary education and skills to best serve the patient and their families,” she said. “Stacey has a magic way about her, and I wish that my words were able to more accurately convey the excellent level of care that she provides.”  

Congratulations to Stacey on being recognized with the DAISY Award® and thanks to her for her support of the Ohio’s Hospice mission.  

Sunflower Award 

Cheyenne Winsler, personal care specialist at Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County, was nominated for the Sunflower Award by a teammate for her compassionate care for patients.  

The Sunflower Award honors personal care specialists who take care of a patient’s personal needs with dignity, compassion and empathy. They provide quality nursing assistance to patients, assist patients’ families with care, and work with the interdisciplinary care team.  

“Cheyenne is compassionate with every patient she cares for and assists them when they are in their most vulnerable state, ensuring they maintain their dignity,” said Stephanie Rank, RN care manager at Ohio’s Hospice of Miami County. “Recently an elderly patient was having excruciating back pain. Cheyenne asked if the plan of care could be changed so the patient could be given a bath in the whirlpool. She put the needs of the patient first and the patient really enjoyed the whirlpool bath and was so gracious for the care received. Cheyenne truly made a difference in the patient’s quality of life.”  

Congratulations to Cheyenne on being recognized with the Sunflower Award and thanks to her for her support of the Ohio’s Hospice mission.  

Tulip Award  

Two staff members were recognized with the Tulip Award. The Tulip Award honors chaplains, social workers, therapists, counselors, physicians, pharmacists, and other patients care professionals at Ohio’s Hospice.  

Emily Cross, medical social worker at Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties, was nominated for the Tulip Award by a patient’s wife for the comfort and education she provided.  

The patient’s wife appreciated Emily reaching out to her and her family when her husband was admitted to Ohio’s Hospice of Butler & Warren Counties. Emily explained everything hospice would do to help him.  

“When my husband took a turn for the worse, Emily provided such comfort and care to me by explaining what was happening to him and how hospice was making him comfortable. She listened to me express concerns over what to do,” the patient’s wife wrote in the nomination form. “Emily is truly deserving of this award. She is an asset to the organization and provided such care, compassion and comfort to my husband and to me.” 

Congratulations to Emily on being honored with the Tulip Award and thanks to her for her support of the Ohio’s Hospice mission.  

Ruth Robson, social worker coordinator at Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio, was recognized with the Tulip Award for providing exceptional patient and teammate care. She was nominated by Jody Holstein, medical social worker with Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio.  

Ruth is the leader of the Social Worker Team at Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio. She keeps the staff abreast of administrative changes, organization news, and the on-call schedule. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Ruth has kept her team up to date on all of the changes. She has stepped into new areas by taking on more on-call hours and new territories, which added to her case load significantly.  

“She has been our encourager and motivator by sending out positive notes and hopeful thoughts to keep us all going and focused,” Jody said. “Ruth’s gifts of compassion, empathy, patience, diplomacy, reason, and most of all, kindness, have been a blessing to her patients and the entire Social Worker Team.”  

Congratulations to Ruth on being honored with the Tulip Award and thanks to her for her support of the Ohio’s Hospice mission.  

Carnation Award 

Two staff members were recognized with the Carnation Award. The award is given to mission support staff for their commitment to the organization’s mission. 

Susan Freeman, health information system (HIS) specialist at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, was awarded the Carnation Award. Susan was nominated by Dr. Amy Mestemaker, team physician at Ohio’s Hospice of Dayton, for her support of the physician team to help them complete the final service to a patient and their family with the completion of the death certificate.  

Unfortunately, some information on the patient’s death certificate needed to be updated. Susan investigated and updated the information for the family. 

“She was able to solve everything for the physician team and for the family,” Dr. Mestemaker said. “She is a gift to the funeral homes, families and physicians.”  

Congratulations to Susan on being recognized with the Carnation Award and thanks to her for her support of the Ohio’s Hospice mission.  

Chris Warth, IT Support at Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio, was awarded the Carnation Award. He was nominated by the Volunteer Services Department at Ohio’s Hospice of Central Ohio.  

The Volunteer Services Department described Chris as always cheerful and reassuring. When one member of the Volunteer Services Department needed assistance connecting to an external virtual meeting platform, Chris stayed late to make sure the team member had audio and video connections so she could lead and participate in the meeting without any glitches.  

Other teammates in the Volunteer Services Department describe Chris as a great team player who always has such a great attitude. He is helpful and knowledgeable and is always willing to explain IT Issues in more detail.  

Congratulations to Chris on being recognized with the Carnation Award and thanks to him for his support of the Ohio’s Hospice mission. 

To nominate a staff member, click here.  

To learn more about careers at Ohio’s Hospice, click here.