Jamie Eagan, RN Receives DAISY Award  

PLATTSBURGH, NY (7/1/2025) – A normally beautiful moment bringing a baby into the world became life-threatening in the operating room. The newborn was healthy, but the new mother was losing a lot of blood.

Jamie Eagan, RN, a member of the labor and delivery team at University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) was rushing in and out of the OR to bring supplies in and help out any way she could. 

“Jamie is a nurse you want by your side when something is happening on the unit,” says Cierra Lafountain, LPN, an OR technician at the hospital. “She has the knowledge, experience and compassion to be put into any situation and excel.” 

Thankfully, the mother was stabilized. But she was also intubated. Lafountain says Eagan stayed with the mother to make sure the newborn could still experience skin-to-skin time with her. This was critical, helping regulate the baby’s body temperature, heart rate and breathing while promoting bonding, even as the mother remained sedated. 

The mother was transferred to University of Vermont Medical Center for a higher level of care and fully recovered. Lafountain points out this is one of many examples she has witnessed Eagan providing compassionate care to patients. 

“She is always willing to lend a hand, cheer up a new mom or hold the hand of a mother-to-be when they think they can’t do this anymore. Jamie is an extraordinary nurse to her patients and an extraordinary person in general,” Lafountain adds. 

That is why she nominated Eagan for The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. And Eagan was presented the honor during a surprise ceremony with her colleagues in the Alice T. Miner Women and Children’s Center (WCC). 

During the award presentation, Eagan was presented with a certificate commending her as an extraordinary nurse. She, like all honorees, also received a DAISY Award pin and a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” which is hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. 

CVPH launched the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses in 2018 to recognize and reward licensed nurses for making a meaningful difference in the lives of their patients. Nomination forms and boxes are located at each of the hospital’s main entrances and online at UVMHealth.org/CVPHDaisy. Nurses may be nominated by patients, families, and colleagues.  A committee reviews nominations and awards a deserving nurse each quarter. 

The award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to recognize the extraordinary, compassionate nursing care they provide patients and families every day. The DAISY Foundation is a national not-for-profit organization, established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease (DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System). The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families. More information is available at DAISYfoundation.org.