Nurse who refused to leave dying patient's side named Daisy Award Winner

Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center wants to congratulate nurse Marla De Salles on winning the Daisy Award.

De Salles was nominated by Adam Mathis, Director of Case Management. A patient at Southern Hills was suffering from Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a cancer that starts inside bone marrow. The patient was having daily transfusions in order to stay alive. After a long and difficult battle, the patient decided to enter into hospice, against her family's protest. This was a very difficult and emotionally taxing decision.

The patient's family strongly disagreed with her decision and decided to leave the patient alone, despite her pleas to not be left to die without her family's presence. De Salles, the Case Manager during this time, did not want the patient to be abandoned during this painful journey. De Salles refused to leave the patient's side. She stayed with the patient for hours at a time and kept her company during her final moments.

Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center thanks Marla De Salles for her immense compassion and for going above and beyond her duties as a Case Manager. De Salles recognized the unique and intrinsic worth of this individual. She truly lives out Southern Hill's mission, "Above all else, we are committed to the care and improvement of human life."

The Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses is a national award program celebrated in 21 countries and more than 3,500 healthcare facilities around the world. Nurses can be nominated for the award by their colleagues or by patients.