FORT SMITH, Ark. – Torie Ollar, RN, of Baptist Health-Fort Smith, was recently honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses.
The daughter of a patient who was in the Intensive Care Unit at Baptist Health-Fort Smith nominated Ollar for her dedication to the patient’s comfort and for supporting the family through a difficult time.
Ollar says it was her own experience in the hospital that actually inspired her to become a nurse. At a young age, she had to undergo several knee surgeries, but experienced amazing care from nurses and physical therapists. The Greenwood native joined Baptist Health-Fort Smith in 2015 as a patient care assistant in the ICU after graduating from Greenwood High School. She later graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UA Fort Smith in December of 2018.
“I fell in love with working in health care and the difference we’re able to make in the lives of our patients,” Ollar said. “I knew from then on that I was supposed to be a nurse.”
Ollar was recognized by her colleagues and Baptist Health-Fort Smith’s Vice President of Patient Care and Chief Nursing Executive Stephanie Whitaker. She received a congratulatory banner to be hung in her unit until the next award is given, a plaque and DAISY pin, and a “Healer’s Touch” sculpture handcrafted in Zimbabwe.
The goal of the DAISY Foundation’s program is to inspire nurses to provide exemplary care and applaud them for their compassion and skill. Patients and their family members can nominate nurses who they feel deserve recognition for their outstanding care.
Nomination letters can be placed in designated DAISY Award drop-off boxes throughout the hospital or mailed to Baptist Health-Fort Smith, Attn: Kristi Lokey, Clinical Research, 1001 Towson Avenue, Fort Smith, AR 72901.
Baptist Health is Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization with more than 200 points of access that include 11 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community and over 100 primary and specialty care clinics in Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The system additionally offers a college with studies in nursing and allied health; a graduate residency program; and access to virtual care anytime, anywhere. Baptist Health, as the largest not-for-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, provides care to patients wherever they are through the support of approximately 11,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. For more information about Baptist Health, visit baptist-health.com, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
