02/24/2026
DAISY NURSE LEADER RUCHELLE BALANAY
DCP Nurse Manager, CITC I wholeheartedly nominate Ruchelle Balanay, RN, for the DAISY Award for her sustained commitment to exceptional patient care, collaboration, and clinical excellence. On numerous occasions, Ruchelle has demonstrated an ability to consistently step up, going beyond expected duties to help patients and facilitate seamless coordination with other service lines. Ruchelle is an exemplary RN Case Manager whose clinical skills and initiative directly translate to better, more efficient patient outcomes. Two recent events highlight her truly exceptional contributions: Preventing Travel Delays with Proactive Intervention In a situation that involved a patient needing VA-funded travel coordination, Ruchelle demonstrated incredible initiative and foresight. Instead of relying solely on phone calls or digital communication, Ruchelle physically went to TAMC Specialty Care to gather firsthand, critical information on the patients status and ability to travel. This proactive step prevented significant delays and eliminated the typical back-and-forth communication and clarification often associated with complex travel funding logistics. Her direct intervention ensured the patient's care progression was smooth and uninterrupted. Expeditious Collaboration for Higher-Level CareAnother key event relates to an inpatient needing a Medevac transfer for a higher level of care. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Ruchelle initiated most expeditious efforts to obtain and gather necessary information. She collaborated seamlessly among multiple VA's and community service lines. Her swift, decisive action enabled the patient to be transferred smoothly and efficiently, directly contributing to the patient receiving the necessary advanced care and achieving the best possible health outcomes
