Maria Arellano
Kaweah Health Visalia Dialysis
We are excited to announce the recipient and finalists of the DAISY Award at Kaweah Health! The DAISY award is an international recognition program to celebrate extraordinary nurses who provide compassionate and skillful care. It is given to a nurse who personifies Kaweah Health's goal to provide high-quality, customer-oriented and financially strong healthcare services that meet the diverse needs of those we serve. These individuals consistently demonstrate excellence and compassionate care while living out our values: Vision, Integrity, Care, Accountability, Respect and Excellence.
Submitted by: Ron Hunnicutt, Dialysis Patient
"There are a lot of really great nurses and techs at the dialysis center on Tulare Avenue, so it is a bit distressing to single out just one nurse. But here is the story. There is an older gentleman in a wheelchair with a cowboy hat that comes in for dialysis. My guess is that he is from Cambodia, Thailand, or Vietnam. He does not speak English. Just about every time he comes in after about 30 minutes he starts getting real agitated and kicks into a sort of distressed chant. He is obviously very uncomfortable. If someone does not stay right there with him he will try to get up and leave, even while hooked up to the dialysis machine. After a few minutes of this routine, Maria kicks into gear and takes charge. I have watched Maria and these nurses massage his neck and massage his head in an effort to calm him down and ease his stress. Sometimes they just sit beside him and try to ease the strain. But many times there is no calming him down, so Maria calls up an interpreter to see if she can determine what is ailing him. Sometimes they have to cart him off to the hospital. Sometimes they make some sort of adjustment and he seems to calm down. In any case, Maria and her colleagues do whatever they have to tending to this gentleman’s needs, looking after his well-being. I am just sitting there hooked up to a machine with nothing else to do except marvel at just how well these nurses and techs perform their tasks. There have been numerous occasions that I thought to myself, “Geez… these folks are really good at what they do!” So, this is a shout out for Maria and her colleagues. They are a joy to be around and they have absolutely taken great care of me! Couldn’t be more grateful!"
2016 1st Quarter Finalists
- Jerry Vega, Sub-Acute
- Elizabeth McClean, SRCC-Radiation Oncology
- Susan Angulo, Kaweah Health Specialty Clinic Center
- Maria Reyna-Garza, Woodlake Health Clinic
- Vanessa Lopez, 4 South
- Michelle Adams, 2 North
- Wendy Parsons, 3 North
- Carissa Prats, 3 South
- Stephanie Robinson, 3 South
- Liset Magallanes, Nursing Float Pool
- Becky Delayo, Sub-Acute
- Nancy Stovall, Sub-Acute
- Malee Seechan, Sub-Acute
