EXTRAORDINARY NURSE RECOGNIZED AT ANDERSON HOSPITAL
January 23, 2026 (Maryville, IL) – Gabby Wood, RN, of Anderson Hospital’s Pavilion for Women obstetrics unit was recently honored with The DAISY Award®For Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.
The nomination submitted read:
"I was blessed to receive care by Gabby on two separate yet similar situations during my pregnancy, one much scarier than the other. At 23 weeks I went into triage very ill and having contractions. Gabby handled this situation with a calm and reassuring demeanor and told me everything was going to be okay. She snapped into action and I eventually stopped contracting but she was so sweet and calmed me down during this scary evening. Months later, I go in at 39 weeks for my scheduled induction and get lucky having Gabby be my nurse that night. She remembered random small details I told her all those weeks prior and was asking me questions about everything. She made me feel like I had a friend on my team in the room with me while going through the painful trauma of contractions and labor. She made me feel strong when my body felt weak, she made me smile when all I wanted to do was cry, and she made me feel safe in an otherwise scary, vulnerable situation (labor is not for the weak!!) From holding my hand and bringing me everything and more I could need, to advocating for me and holding me while I got the epidural, I felt safe and cared for all night until her shift switched. I’ll never forget how loved and cared for I felt, and she came up to postpartum to visit me the next morning which made me feel so relieved to see a face I knew while learning the ins and outs of motherhood and recovering. She deserves a million awards. She was meant for the role she is in and you can tell she loves what she does and loves her patients too."
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. 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. 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.
Said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, Doctor of Humane Letters (h.c) and Co-Founder of The DAISY Foundation, "When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human work they do. The kind of work the nurses at Anderson Hospitalare called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
For a complete listing of healthcare organizations currently running the program, please go to http://DAISYfoundation.org
In addition to the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses, the Foundation expresses gratitude to the nursing profession internationally in over 5,000 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of Nurse-led Teams, Nurse Leaders, Nurses Advancing Health Equity, Nursing Faculty, Nursing Students, Lifetime Achievement in Nursing and through the J. Patrick Barnes Grants for Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Projects, Medical Mission Grants and their new Health Equity Grant programs. More information is available at http://DAISYfoundation.org.
