CFVH nurse earns international award

Paula Stobie, RN, MN of Clark Fork Valley Hospital and Family Medicine Network was surprised and honored with The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses at a reception that was held for her at Hot Springs Family Medicine on Wednesday, December 15. Homemade cinnamon rolls were served to Stobie and her surprise guests of family members and clinic staff. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's programs to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day.

Stobie began working for CFVH as a new grad right out of nursing school 36 years ago.

"I fell in love with caring for my friends and neighbors in the clinic setting. The connection and relationships I am able to build in this setting is part of why I love what I do so much," shared Stobie. "I never lose sight of the fact that it's a privilege to be a nurse and have the trust of my community. I grew up in this community so I feel that I bring a level of understanding and rapport many of our patients appreciate."

As Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Eberhardt pointed out at the reception, "Many of the nurses who receive this award feel like they are just doing their job and don't deserve such recognition."

A choked up Eberhardt explained exactly why Stobie's contributions were worth recognizing and how they reflected the amazing and meaningful way Stobie cares for her patients each and every day.

The award nomination submitted read in part:

"Some time back my husband was the victim of a stroke. I called the Hot Springs Clinic and told them what was happening. They in turn said to get him right to the ER. He argued to not do the "ER trip" and the next thing we knew Paula was driving in the driveway after him. She had borrowed an SUV from a co-worker since her car was in for repairs. She rushed to our place and in a matter of a few short minutes he was headed to the ER in Plains! Her win-some personality and ability to get the point across without offending anyone is what persuaded him to go in. He thought maybe just a pinched nerve [was] causing the problem, but she was right. It was a stroke.

"Paula is the first nurse we've presented an award to from our organization so far since adopting the international program at our facility in 2019. We had a bit of a slow start and our recognition efforts were put on hold when COVID became all-consuming, but after the last two years and witnessing all the amazing nurses stepping up at our facility, this award means even more," said Eberhardt. "We have so many deserving nurses and recognizing them couldn't come at a better time. Paula's unwavering compassion for her patients has been evident throughout her career and we are lucky to have her as part of our CFVH family. As her nomination shows, she truly has and continues to make a difference in the lives of her patients."

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, California, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

If you have received exceptional care from one of our nurses and would like to thank them in a special way, we encourage you to nominate them for a DAISY Award. Learn more at http://www.cfvh.org, or pick up a nomination form at each of the CFVH hospital and Family Medicine office locations.