AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach Recognizes Nurse with DAISY Award

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla., February 13, 2020 – AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach recognized registered nurse Greg Huggins with the DAISY award.

The DAISY Award is an international program that rewards and celebrates extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care provided by nurses.

Huggins is a surgical services nurse at AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach, as well as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. He is currently deployed overseas and scheduled to return home in September.

Huggins was nominated for this award by his team member, Deanna Howell.

“My mother worked with Greg and the OR (operating room) team for many years and she always told me that their department was more like family than coworkers. I got to observe this firsthand when my mom battled a brief illness and passed away,” Howell wrote in her nomination for Huggins.

“At first, I was angry that she never got to enjoy her retirement, and that I didn't get more time with her,” Howell continued. “But I have realized that she was able to spend her last moments with people like Greg Huggins – people who were much more like family than coworkers. Thank you, Greg, for loving your team members. Your actions have strengthened my connection to God, and for that, I thank you.”

Created in 1999, more than 2,500 healthcare facilities in all 50 states, as well as 15 other countries, use the DAISY Award to honor nurses.

Karen Torrey, director of surgical services at AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach, presented Huggins with the award via a surprise Skype call as he is still deployed overseas.

In recognition of this honor, he received a DAISY pin, a certificate and a hand-carved stone sculpture of the “Healer’s Touch” by an artist of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe. His department also received cake, cinnamon rolls and a DAISY banner to display.

About AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach
AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach has 109-beds and is one of the six hospitals in Flagler, Lake and Volusia counties that composes the AdventHealth Central Florida Division - North Region. Based in Altamonte Springs, AdventHealth is a connected system of care. With more than 80,000 team members, AdventHealth is one of the nation’s largest faith-based health care systems with nearly 50 hospitals and hundreds of care sites in nearly a dozen states. With the mission of Extending the Healing Ministry of Christ, AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach provides whole person care to heal the body, mind and spirit. For more information about AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach, visit AdventHealthNewSmyrnaBeach.com.

Photo Caption:

Greg Huggins, an AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach registered nurse and U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, received the DAISY award, an international program that rewards and celebrates extraordinary clinical skill and compassionate care provided by nurses. Huggins is currently deployed overseas and is scheduled to return home in September. He is pictured here (top right) on deployment with his U.S. Army surgical suite team abroad.