Collaboration Across Departments Results in DAISY Award

SALINAS, Calif.  A long-time Salinas Valley Health nurse who is no stranger to the awards spotlight is being honored with the prestigious Daisy Award for her collaboration and commitment to a significant patient centered initiative at the Medical Center. Norma Coyazo, MSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, Staff Nurse III in Labor and Delivery, is the latest DAISY Award recipient for nursing excellence and also holds the organization’s title of 2023 Nurse of the Year.

Coyazo has served patients at Salinas Valley Health for more than 21 years and this marked her fifth DAISY Award nomination. In this instance, the nomination came from a colleague who works in the IT department involved with the recent roll-out of the Epic electronic health record system resulting in a user-friendly platform for patients known as MyChart.

Juan Rodriguez, System Technician in IT praised Coyazo for her partnership during the Epic transition writing, “Norma is the absolute best nurse I have ever dealt with and she went above and beyond in her assistance with helping the Epic TDR team.”   

During the recognition, Coyazo emphasized the importance of teamwork and mutual support, particularly during large-scale organizational initiatives. “This journey called Epic is huge for an organization,” said Coyazo. “The only way to be successful is to work together. That’s what we do every single day.”

Coyazo added that receiving the DAISY Award is a meaningful honor and a reminder of why she chose nursing as a career. ““I don’t see my job as work. It’s my passion and I’m dedicated to always trying to do better.”

In addition to Coyazo, Salinas Valley Health recognized the following DAISY Award nominees for their outstanding dedication to patients and colleagues: Keely Amor, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse III, Labor & Delivery; Ericka Ansaldo, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse II, Telemetry Towers; Erica Barnum, MSN, RN, Staff Nurse II, Emergency Department; Eva Baron, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse II, Telemetry Towers; Sara Christie, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse II, Labor & Delivery; Laurie Freed, BSN, RN, CCRN-CSC, Staff Nurse III, ICU/CCU; Ivanna Garcia, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse II, NICU; Hugo Adam Gutierrez, BSN, RN, PCCN, Cupid Analyst with Nursing, Epic Systems; Christina Medina, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse II, Observation Care Unit; April Monteiro, RN, Staff Nurse II, Observation Care Unit; Mylene Peralta, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse II, Telemetry Towers; Enrique Ramirez, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse II, Med Surg; Ianna Schlaefli, BSN, RN, Staff Nurse II, Heart Center; Flora Temple, RN, Staff Nurse II, Emergency Department; and Ernest Tuma, RN, Staff Nurse II, Heart Center.

The DAISY Award is an international program of the DAISY Foundation that recognizes nurses for extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care. At Salinas Valley Health, DAISY Awards are presented monthly alongside STAR Awards, which recognize employees across all departments who exemplify the organization’s core values of Support, Teamwork, Accountability and Respect.  Together, the awards highlight the commitment of staff at every level to quality, teamwork, and exceptional service to patients and the community.

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Media Contact: Karina Rusk
831-759-1843