Deaconess Memorial in Jasper names Christie Thomas RN DAISY Award winner

Christie Thomas, RN of Women and Infant Services at Deaconess Memorial Medical Center in Jasper has been named the hospital’s latest DAISY Award recipient after a patient nomination highlighting sustained bedside support during labor. Deaconess Memorial, a DAISY Award Partner that recognizes one nurse each quarter, posted the announcement on its site alongside other staff and operational notices.

A patient who nominated Thomas described the nurse’s role in the delivery in vivid terms: “She was more than a nurse, but also my sense of power, strength, determination and endurance throughout the labor and delivery process…. She got into the trench of the hardest thing I’ve ever went through physically, to bear it along with me. Forehead to forehead, refusing to let me believe that I couldn’t do what I needed to do to birth that baby.” The nomination underscores emotional and physical labor support and sustained bedside presence in Women and Infant Services.

Deaconess Memorial acknowledged the recognition with a direct thank-you to Thomas, stating, “We thank Christie for her dedicated and compassionate care she provides to our patients every day.” The hospital post also described the DAISY Award as “an international program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care given by nurses every day.” An additional description in a separate report characterized the DAISY Award as “a national recognition program honoring extraordinary nurses for clinical skill,” reflecting two characterizations present in the available materials.

The Deaconess announcement appeared in the same site area that included other featured items such as a notice on temporary visitor restrictions tied to rising flu activity and RSV across Deaconess facilities and a staff recognition post naming Kerri Blessinger as a GARDENER Award recipient. The hospital’s web post did not include a direct quote from Christie Thomas, nor did it specify the quarter tied to the recognition.

Materials from Deaconess Health System’s 2023 Nursing Annual Report list dozens of nurses across Gateway, Midtown and Henderson campuses but do not explicitly list Christie Thomas in Women and Infant Services. The annual report excerpt names several staff with the surname Thomas, including Jade Thomas (Gateway Ortho Surgical), Alexis Thomas (Med/Surg/Tele - Henderson), April Thomas (Henderson Med Surg) and Kelsey Thomas (Henderson Surgery), alongside many other clinicians from units such as Gateway MSICU, Midtown STCICU and Henderson ICU.

Deaconess Memorial’s post invited further nominations and directed readers to its website and to contact Anna Borden for nomination details, and it advised people to consult the DAISY Foundation website to learn about the national or international award program. The announcement did not provide Anna Borden’s contact information in the excerpted text, nor did it list Christie Thomas’s nursing credentials, tenure at Deaconess Memorial, or any date for a public recognition event.

Local families who use Deaconess Memorial’s birthing services will likely recognize the emphasis the hospital placed on bedside labor support in this award. Reporters and community members seeking confirmation of the award date, Christie Thomas’s credentials, a photo or comments from Thomas or Women and Infant Services leadership can contact Deaconess Memorial’s communications office for those details.