Springfield Memorial Hospital Nurse Honored with DAISY Award

SPRINGFIELD - Deb McWhorter received the DAISY Award for Nursing Excellence at Springfield Memorial Hospital.

Known for her expertise and compassion, McWhorter, of Pawnee, was nominated by a nurse co-worker at the nonprofit hospital to receive the award, hospital officials said.

In the nomination form for her DAISY Award recognition, McWhorter was called an "an incredible, caring and attentive nurse … [and] a huge asset to her department."

A registered nurse in the outpatient department at Springfield Memorial Hospital, McWhorter has worked at the hospital for more than 34 years. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Illinois-Springfield in 1992.

Outside of work, McWhorter enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her husband, Chris, her daughter, Melissa, her mother, Virgilyn, and her rescued Australian Shepherd, Gypsy. She also enjoys bicycling and going on ocean-side vacations.

The nonprofit DAISY Foundation was established by the family of J. Patrick Barnes, who died in 1999 from complications of an autoimmune disease. The care Barnes and his family received from nurses during his illness inspired them to create the DAISY Award.