Salinas Valley Health Nurse Receives DAISY Award

Media Contact: Karina Rusk
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Baudelio “Alex” Gonzalez, RN II is the August recipient of the Daisy Award at Salinas Valley Health. Salinas Valley Health participates in the national Daisy Award program, which celebrates compassionate and skillful nursing care. Gonzalez is a staff nurse II in the Oncology Department. In addition to an awards ceremony in his unit, the publicly elected Board of Directors recognizes Gonzalez for the accomplishment.

“This is such an honor. It makes me really happy to be recognized for something I love doing - caring for patients, ” says Alex Gonzalez, Staff Nurse II in the Oncology Department. “My job is about taking care of people, it’s about providing compassion during a difficult time. It’s about being nice, caring, providing guidance, and making people feel good. ”

Salinas Valley Health hired Gonzalez in June of 2006 as a nurse aide in the Comprehensive Cancer Center. In 2013, he became a registered nurse and started working as a Staff Nurse I at Salinas Valley Health. In late 2014, Alex was promoted to Staff Nurse II in the Oncology Department. This months Daisy nomination was the fourth time this year Gonzalez was nominated for the honor.

A nurse nominated Alex for his compassion towards patients and for always smiling. A patient’s brother nominated Alex for being compassionate to his sister and to the family, and a visitor nominated Alex for being calm, patient, and for taking the time to answer all of his questions, adding “he was just awesome!”

“Alex is one of those employees who puts everyone at ease. His coworkers appreciate him for his teamwork and patients and families commend him for his calm, gentle, and caring demeanor,” says Christie Gonder, Chief Nursing Officer at Salinas Valley Health. “Alex has been nominated several times and is very deserving of the Daisy Award as he consistently exemplifies a true role model of a professional and compassionate nurse.”

The publically elected Board of Directors recognized Gonzalez at its August Board meeting. Salinas Valley Health recognizes all of the Daisy nominees this month for their dedication and commitment to patient care. Daisy nominees include Edward Bedard, RN II, Joy Careaga, RN II, Dalila Ceja, RN II, Ildefonso Cusi, RN II, Roxane Dunphy, RN II, Kimberly Kelley, RN II, Olga Kepler, RN II, Lucia McCleary, RN II, Maria Moncayo, RN II, Marlyn Munoz, RN II, Maybelle Peters, RN II, Nancy Smith, RN, II and Mabel Tomimbang, RN II.

Every month, Salinas Valley Health recognizes an outstanding employee with a Daisy Award (for nurses) or a Star Award (for all staff). Nominations can be submitted by patients, visitors and staff. Nomination forms and drop boxes are located throughout the medical center. To learn more about the awards visit Nurse Recognition | Salinas Valley Health or STAR Award | Monterey County Health System (SalinasValleyHealth.com).