Thurmer Awarded DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award

DeAnn Thurmer, Ripon Medical Center/Waupun Memorial Hospital president, has been awarded The DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes nurses who have devoted their life’s work to the compassionate care of others.

Award recipients are nominated for their dedication to nursing through active mentoring, role modeling, advocating for their patients and promoting the positive image of nursing. They serve as a beacon of inspiration to those at all stages of their career and in the various and important roles of nursing.

The DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award gives staff a way to express their gratitude, and recognize the legacies that have sustained and shaped the heritage of nursing.

Honorees are considered for The DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are considered based on their distinguished career as a nurse in clinical practice, administration, education, and/or research that promote a positive image of professional nursing; professional development of self and others in the nursing profession; role model and advocate for nursing practice and the advancement of nursing as a professional; advocate for the improvement of patient care and serves as an exemplar for enhancing the patient experience; recognition by the broader nursing community as a transformational nursing leader; and more than 25 years of service.

Here is Thurmer’s nomination.

”DeAnn was raised locally and has served the Ripon and Waupun area her entire career. She has been involved with Agnesian HealthCare, now SSM Health, since 1985 with increasing and progressive leadership roles. Serving in an executive role since 1995, she has been instrumental in the merger of Waupun Memorial Hospital with Agnesian HealthCare, the merger of Ripon Medical Center with Agnesian HealthCare and now with Agnesian HealthCare and SSM Health. Through her strong and steady leadership, the teams felt supported and heard and the patient care maintained its constant state of high quality and standards. She has been instrumental in this change management while continuing our care at best practice levels (No CAUTI or CLABSI for years). DeAnn leads boards for both hospitals and makes herself available to board, employees and medical staff at any time. She is well-respected in her role internally and in the community.

DeAnn has ‘owned’ step-back reviews at both Ripon and Waupun and continued this during COVID. This ensured that our KPIs and patient care never waivered. She allowed the teams a platform for questions and concerns and provided feedback on current process. This has led to stellar results in the KPIs at both facilities.

DeAnn is a mentor. She regularly rounds in the departments at both hospitals. She is aware of the formal and informal leaders and engages in communication with them to ensure staff concerns are being met and recognized. She regularly is working to ensure the region and system understand critical access hospitals and nursing in a critical access hospital. DeAnn has been instrumental in Waupun Memorial Hospital and Ripon Medical Center both achieving Pathways to Excellence designation in 2013 and re-designation in 2016 and 2019.”

DAISY first began honoring nurses in 1999 after Bonnie and Mark Barnes’ son, Patrick, died at age 33 from an autoimmune disease. While Patrick was hospitalized, the Barnes family was overwhelmed by the care they received from nurses.

After their son’s death, they launched the foundation as a meaningful way to honor the compassionate care nurses display every day.

Recipients of the award receive a certificate, lapel pin and sculpture with a personalized plaque.