San Juan Regional Medical Center Recognizes Caregivers with DAISY, BEE Awards

San Juan Regional Medical Center in Farmington recognized frontline caregivers Feb. 16 with DAISY® and BEE awards for acts that eased patient distress and supported team care, though the hospital’s News Room page and its Instagram posts name different recipients. The split lists include ICU nurses, a cardiac catheterization lab nurse, critical care technicians and an emergency department technician.

Local media and the hospital’s Instagram singled out Alicia McGee, an intensive care unit nurse and repeat DAISY winner, and cardiac cath lab nurse Jason Aikele as DAISY recipients. McGee was nominated by the family of a patient who suddenly fell ill and died days later; the family said McGee “treated the patient with dignity and compassion during his time in the ICU” and “recognized him as an individual and expressed appreciation for her care.” Colleagues who nominated Aikele cited an example in which he “helped obtain a month-long sample of medication for a patient from another country who did not have insurance coverage while staying in the United States,” and wrote his actions “helped reduce patient risk and supported team operations.” That same set of posts named Felicia McNeal, a critical care technician in the ICU, as a BEE award recipient; a physician’s nomination said McNeal “assists with equipment, helps coordinate additional resources and provides support to families during difficult moments.” The emergency department technician Warren Begay was also listed in those posts after a mother credited him with calming her child who swallowed a coin — one caption specified a quarter — and making the visit less stressful.

By contrast, the hospital’s official News Room entry lists a different group of honorees: Sara Berry (listed in one excerpt as Sara Barry) and Laurel Martin as DAISY® Award recipients, and Kathy Coleman and Evette Craine as the first ever BEE Award recipients at San Juan Regional. The News Room material says Evette Craine is a critical care tech in the ICU and was nominated by four coworkers; ICU Manager Adrian Cordova is quoted: “Evette Craine does not just perform her role—she elevates it. She brings compassion, intelligence, and commitment to every patient interaction and team collaboration.” The News Room copy also calls Evette “an irreplaceable part of the ICU team” and credits her with anticipating needs and creating efficient workflows.

The conflicting recipient lists appeared publicly: the hospital’s Instagram post naming McGee, Aikele, McNeal and Begay used the hashtags #DAISYAward #nursing #Caregivers and drew a congratulatory comment from The DAISY Foundation saying “Congratulations! 💚.” A Tri-City Record Facebook post repeating that four-person list showed 39 reactions and two comments. The materials reviewed include truncated News Room excerpts and an Instagram caption that referenced nomination forms but omitted the URLs.

The DAISY® Award is described in the hospital’s communications as an international recognition for nurses; the BEE Award is presented as its companion for healthcare professionals “Being Exceptional Every day.” With Feb. 16 identified as the event date in hospital materials, the differing public lists leave the precise roster of honorees unclear. The News Room and social posts name overlapping roles and similar anecdotes but not a single, consistent set of winners; hospital communications, corrected spellings for names such as Sara Berry, and the complete nomination-form links were not available in the copies reviewed.