March 9, 2026 (Dillon, SC) – Nissa Bethea BSN, RN of McLeod Health Dillon 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 “Nissa was my father’s nurse on multiple occasions, and each time she cared with him with compassion, dignity and genuine kindness. She didn’t just see him as a patient, she saw him as a person and that showed in every interaction.”
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, CEO 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 McLeod Health Dillon are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of The DAISY Award.”
“The DAISY Award is widely known in the nursing community as the highest symbol of nursing professionalism and dedication,” said Landon Simmons, Chief Nursing Officer at McLeod Health Dillon. “It is a privilege to honor Nissa Bethea with this 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 4,600 healthcare facilities and schools of nursing with recognition of direct care Nurses, 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, their new Health Equity Grant program.
Extraordinary Nurse Honored at McLeod Health Dillon
