Athens Resident Receives Award for Nursing Excellence

December 18, 2025

Press Release

Jacie MacMullan, a registered nurse and weekend charge nurse on St. Mary’s 3rd Floor Medical/Surgical Unit, has received St. Mary’s DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence. She was nominated by a patient struggling with several major health conditions that led to multiple hospital admissions at St. Mary’s and another hospital over a period of six weeks.

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“That was a very traumatic time for me,” the patient wrote in MacMullan’s nomination. “Jacie made me and my wife comfortable with the entire process and stay. She was professional at all times yet personable and easy to talk to. She worked well with the techs when they were in the room at the same time. In addition to being my nurse, she was also charge nurse for her floor. She handled that responsibility without letting her nurse responsibility suffer.

“Jacie needs to be recognized and appreciated for her skills and kindness to others,” the patient concludes. “She has an extraordinary commitment to her craft, to her career, but especially to her patients and the care she provides.”

“Jacie is committed to our mission of serving together in the spirit of the Gospel as a compassionate and transforming healing presence,” said Unit Director Tina Crawford. “Although she is new to St. Mary’s leadership team, she has quickly demonstrated her ability to lead with confidence and grace. Jacie is deeply engaged, compassionate, and a strong advocate for patients. She takes the time to truly understand each patient’s needs so she can provide individualized, high-quality care. That commitment to excellence is simply part of who she is—as a nurse, a leader, and a person.”

MacMullan is a resident of Athens-Clarke County and joined St. Mary’s in March 2024.

About the DAISY Award

The DAISY Award is an international recognition program that celebrates the skillful and compassionate care nurses provide day-in and day-out. It was created in gratitude for the nurses who provided care to Patrick Barnes, a 33-year-old husband and father who lost his fight against a deadly autoimmune disease in 1999. His family created the DAISY Foundation, which now partners with more than 6,500 hospitals and schools in all 50 states and around the world to honor and inspire extraordinary nurses. Learn more about the DAISY Award at https://www.daisyfoundation.org/.

At St. Mary's, each DAISY Award recipient is recognized at a public ceremony with their colleagues. They receive a certificate, a DAISY Award pin, and a stone sculpture entitled "A Healer's Touch" that is hand-carved by sculptors in Zimbabwe. In addition, they and their colleagues are invited to celebrate the occasion with cinnamon rolls, a treat Patrick would request – even though he couldn’t eat them – as a thank-you to the nurses caring for him.

Anyone can nominate a St. Mary's nurse for the DAISY Award, including patients, patients' family members, providers, and colleagues. Any nurse in the St. Mary's system is eligible, including those at all three hospitals as well as home health care/hospice services and medical group offices. The nomination simply asks you to share your story of why a nurse is special to you. St. Mary's honors eight nurses each year.

There are two ways you can nominate a St. Mary's nurse: