02/13/2026
Congratulations to our December 2025 DAISY Award honoree, Sarah Himes, Oncology RN/CTC!
Sarah's nomination read: "I am honored to nominate Sarah Himes for the DAISY Award in recognition of her extraordinary compassion, clinical excellence, and unwavering commitment to both patients and colleagues within our Oncology team. Sarah is consistently an outstanding and highly professional oncology nurse who challenges the status quo of care delivery in the best possible way. She remains focused on new and emerging trends in oncology care and therapies, always asking thoughtful, appropriate, and forward-thinking questions aimed at improving patient outcomes and strengthening our team’s practice. Her curiosity and critical thinking elevate the professionalism of those around her and foster a culture of continuous learning. Beyond her daily responsibilities, Sarah regularly steps up to support the team by picking up additional shifts whenever she can. Most notably, she recently volunteered to take on the Oncology Nurse Navigator role while the primary navigator is on maternity leave.
In addition, Sarah also volunteered to cross-train in order to provide coverage for the Radiation Oncology Nurse when that role is out of the office. Her willingness to assume this complex role, and the excellence with which she has carried it out, has been invaluable to both our oncology team and our patients. In her navigator role, Sarah is consistently visible and engaged. She routinely rounds on staff to ask if help or assistance is needed, clarifies navigator work and care plans with all team members involved, and ensures everyone understands next steps. Her commitment to closed-loop communication is exemplary, ensuring coordination, efficiency, and confidence across the care team. Sarah has gone above and beyond in coordinating care for patients with highly complex needs. She spent countless hours coordinating appointments, sharing protocols, medication information, and care plans for a Department of Corrections patient, ensuring seamless communication between providers and facilities. She also took the initiative to follow up directly with the healthcare team at the DOC to ensure continuity and clarity of care.
In another instance, Sarah dedicated hours to educating a patient on the details of a challenging oncology regimen, coordinating multiple appointments within our cancer center, and guiding the patient through information related to follow-up care at a tertiary center for potential stem cell transplant. Her patience, clarity, and compassion helped reduce fear and confusion during an overwhelming time for the patient and family. Sarah is beyond kind, deeply compassionate, endlessly patient, and a true teacher at heart. She is consistently patient-centered, never hesitates to help, and approaches every interaction with empathy and professionalism. She embodies everything one could hope for in a truly exceptional nurse and reflects the very spirit of the DAISY Award through her actions every single day or her extraordinary dedication, compassion, and impact on patient care, I wholeheartedly nominate Sarah Himes for the DAISY Award."
