CentraState Healthcare System honored Ashley Collegio, RN, a registered nurse in the Pediatric Emergency Department, with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

“Ashley is an outstanding nurse who brings her healing touch to all of her patients and their families,” says Dawn Kline, BSN, RNC-LRN, DHA, Executive Director of the Maternal Child Health & Nursing Administration. “Her commitment and dedication to her patients is a model of excellence that is inspiring.”

Collegio received the award after being nominated by a grateful patient’s family and was chosen by the DAISY committee of nurses and healthcare administrators at CentraState. An excerpt from her nomination describes her ability to connect with her pediatric patient at the same time as reassuring the patient’s family:

“Ashley is one of a kind and truly knows how to work gently and kindly with children. There are not many pediatric nurses like her in this world. She is above and beyond the best, I have ever come across. We are telling all our friends that CentraState is the place to go for a nurse that cares for children, especially Ashley.”

The DAISY Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that is a leader in meaningful recognition of nurses and was created to express gratitude by the family of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, a little-known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.) The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

Want to say thank you to your nurse? You can share the story of your compassionate experience and nominate them for a DAISY Award. 

If you are a member of the media and have an inquiry or would like to schedule an interview with an executive, physician, or other clinician, please contact the Public Relations Department at 732-294-7080 during business hours. If the matter is urgent, please contact Joy Lee-Calio, Director of Public Relations & Communications, at joy.lee-calio@centrastate.com