Tomah VA Daisy Award July 2024
Rachel Rucinski, a Registered Nurse (RN) at the Wisconsin Rapids Outpatient Clinic, was recently selected as the recipient of the DAISY award for this quarter.
The nomination was made by Jaimie Nigito, Physician Assistant (PA), and the award was presented by Natalie Hackbarth, Deputy Associate Director of Patient Care Services, and Marcie Fulford, Associate Chief Nurse, on Wednesday, July 18th.
Ms. Rucinski, a float RN currently working at the Wisconsin Rapids Outpatient Clinic, was honored with the DAISY award due to her consistent demonstration of compassion and her exceptional care for veterans. She played a pivotal role in providing exemplary care for a veteran awaiting a delayed hip replacement due to complications with lymphedema-related ulcers. Ms. Rucinski frequently assisted with wound care and dressing change appointments in addition to her regular patient care duties. Furthermore, she took proactive measures to address the veteran's loss of internet access by liaising with the internet service provider for restoration and arranging transportation for upcoming appointments.
Upon receiving the award, Rachel expressed her gratitude, "It's a privilege to serve our nation's veterans, and to receive the DAISY award is a great honor for which I'll be forever grateful. In healthcare, we work as a team and what I do each day is not possible without the help of the amazing teams we have here at the VA."