UP Health System – Marquette is proud to recognize Zack Pavlat, RN, as this quarter’s recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses®. The DAISY Award is part of the DAISY Foundation’s mission to honor the exceptional, compassionate care nurses provide to patients and families every day.

Zack’s commitment to excellence and empathy in nursing made a lasting impression on a patient who experienced a life-threatening medical emergency.

“I am honored to nominate Zack, RN, for the DAISY Award due to his extraordinary care during a time of immense vulnerability and uncertainty,” the patient wrote. “I came into the hospital with chest pain on June 4 and went into ventricular fibrillation arrest in the emergency department on the morning of June 5. Zack was present during my code blue and was the first person I saw when I regained consciousness. That moment could have been overwhelming, but instead, I felt calm.”

After receiving emergency treatment in the catheterization lab, the patient was transferred to the intensive care unit under Zack’s care. His calm presence and clinical expertise were instrumental in the patient’s early recovery.

“He monitored me closely and provided the expert care my condition required without instilling fear,” the nomination read. “He offered guidance without being overbearing, always striking the right balance between attentiveness and allowing me space.”

In the days following the cardiac arrest, Zack also supported the patient with essential personal care, tasks that can feel especially humbling during recovery.

“He approached each moment with professionalism and compassion, always preserving my dignity,” the patient wrote. “At no point did I feel like ‘just another patient.’ Instead, Zack treated me like a person, and that made all the difference.”

The nomination describes Zack as a steady and respectful presence whose empathy and skill helped the patient begin healing not only physically but emotionally.

“Zack exemplifies what it means to be a DAISY nurse,” the patient wrote. “I am deeply grateful for the care he provided and believe he is richly deserving of this recognition.”

Zack, your quiet leadership and patient-first approach reflect the best of the nursing profession. You’ve made a lasting difference in the lives of those you’ve cared for, and we are proud to celebrate you.

Zack Pavlat, RN, and Chief Nursing Officer Meg McConnell, DPN, MSN, RN

UP Health System – Marquette also extends recognition to all the extraordinary nurses nominated for the DAISY Award this quarter:

• Abby Rosser, RN, Med/Surg
• Alyssa Padden, RN, Emergency Department
• Amy Racine, RN, Interventional Radiology
• Ashley Bethke, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Ashley Hamel, RN, Emergency Department
• Bethany Schultz, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Camille Burck, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Cheryl Brislin, RN, Rehab
• Chloe Hendrickson, RN, Med/Surg
• Christina Hanson, RN, Cardiac
• Christina Hanson, RN; Lindsey Quinn, RN; Lauren Orr, RN; and Tyler Potila, RN, Cardiac
• Claire Smith, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Corey Breitmeyer, RN, Emergency Department
• Courtney Seymour, RN, Family Birthing Center
• David Carlson, RN, Intensive Care Unit
• Elizabeth Rhodes, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Emily Blanford, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Evinette Sexton, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Frannie Stanchina (Kelly), RN, NICU
• Heather Cromell, RN, Med/Surg
• Heather Jahfetson, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• James Heltunen, RN, Behavioral Health
• James VanEck, RN, Behavioral Health
• Jes Chaperon, RN, Family Birthing Center
• Jessica Armstrong, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Jessica Banasiak, RN, Med/Surg
• Katy Johnson, RN, Med/Surg
• Kaylea Jarvie, RN, Family Birthing Center
• Lauren Angeli, RN, Family Birthing Center
• Lexi Gleason, RN, Emergency Department
• Margaret Gustufson, RN, Behavioral Health
• Megan Carnaghi, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Melissa Anderson, RN, NICU
• Nikola Carlson, RN, Cardiac
• Patrick Mike, RN, Neuro, Ortho, Peds
• Ryan Wubben, RN, Intensive Care Unit
• Stephanie Anderson, RN, Cancer Center
• Tina St. Onge, RN, Radiation
• Toni Fuentes, RN, Behavioral Health
• Brittany Gibbs, RN, Med/Surg

The DAISY Foundation was created in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 from complications of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses during his illness inspired the foundation and its global effort to honor and thank nurses for their skill and compassion. (DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.)

Zack Pavlat, RN, is pictured with some of the ICU team during the DAISY Award presentation
at UP Health System – Marquette.

Patients, families or colleagues may nominate nurses. Nominations are reviewed by a committee at UP Health System – Marquette. Honorees are recognized during a formal presentation attended by peers, leadership and family. Each DAISY Award recipient receives a certificate, a DAISY Award pin and a hand-carved sculpture titled “A Healer’s Touch,” created by artists of the Shona tribe in Zimbabwe.

Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, co-founder and CEO of the DAISY Foundation, said, “When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced firsthand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night. Yet these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for their superhuman, extraordinary, compassionate work. The kind of work the nurses at UP Health System – Marquette are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of the DAISY Award.”

“The DAISY Award is one of the most meaningful ways we can honor the impact nurses have on the lives of our patients,” said Meg McConnell, MSN, BSN, RN, assistant chief nursing officer at UP Health System – Marquette. “Zack’s ability to deliver skilled, patient-centered care in critical moments speaks to his professionalism and strength as a caregiver. We’re grateful to have him as part of our nursing team.”

To nominate a nurse for the DAISY Award, visit our website. To learn more about the DAISY Foundation, go to www.daisyfoundation.org.