Matt Davalos, RN, wins DAISY award

PHOTO LINK: Matt Davalos

Rapid City, S.D. (Jan. 11, 2021) –

Matt Davalos, a Registered Nurse at Rapid City Hospital Pediatrics and Nursing Unit, has received the prestigious DAISY Award. A national program, the award is presented to nurses who go above and beyond for their patients and community. He was nominated by the mother of a patient. 

She described Matt’s care during her son’s hospitalization. Matt took steps to ensure that the patient could get as much uninterrupted sleep as possible, encouraged the family to ask questions and celebrated each small milestone the patient made. “He helped when my son was discouraged and in pain,” wrote the patient’s mother. 

As the patient’s stay, expected to be a day or two, stretched out to 17 days, Matt continued to advocate for his patient, and took the time to explain procedures and treatments to both the patient and his family. 

“We could tell Matt had a passion for caring for his patients and treated us like friends,” wrote the patient’s mother. “Matt is a nurse you want to keep and have more like him.”

The DAISY Award recognizes the outstanding professionalism and compassion that nurses bring to patients and families every day. It was established by the DAISY Foundation in California in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at age 33 of an autoimmune disease. DAISY is an acronym for “diseases attacking the immune system.” Nurses in Rapid City are selected 12 times a year for this recognition. Nurses are also honored in Custer, Lead-Deadwood, Spearfish and Sturgis. Visit monument.health/daisy to nominate.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Wade Ellett
Communications Specialist
Strategic Marketing and Communications
Monument Health
wellett@monument.health