Meet Our Winners
The Texas Oncology nurses listed below have received The DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses. Texas Oncology is excited to honor the nurses who provide exemplary care to our patients every day. Congratulations to all DAISY Award winners!
The DAISY Foundation™ was established in 1999 by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes, who died at the age of 33 from complications of an autoimmune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired them to create The DAISY Award® as a way to show gratitude to nurses for the incredible impact they make every day in the lives of patients and their families. The DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses has been adopted by healthcare facilities around the world to celebrate nurses for their extraordinary care and compassion.
Spring 2024
Alisha Danbom, BSN, RN
Alisha is always on top of things. I walk into the Infusion room and see her doing multiple tasks at once. She works with diligence and gets all the tasks done. On top of this, I see her going up and down the hallways to talk with Providers and nurses about patients, triple checking on things to make sure all information is correct. I have seen multiple sheets of paper laid out on her desk as she is charting on each one, and she always answers your questions with kindness. If there is someone that I have seen get things done diligently and swiftly with seriousness and compassion, it is Alisha. Any question I have, even if she is busy, she never says she is too busy to help. Working in Oncology is tough, but you have to be willing and able to work in this kind of environment despite what each day may hold.
Texas Oncology Employee
Coley Tatyrek, BSN, RN, BA, CEN
Coley was a nurse in training when I started receiving chemo infusions. I could see right away that she is a quick learner and a big help to her trainer. Coley is extremely competent, respectful, caring, and friendly. Coley always stays right on top of things and always willing to talk and answers questions ( or get you the answers if she is not sure). You can tell Coley is in a field she loves and excels, which in turn benefits us patients. I feel very comfortable while in Coley’s care and that means wonders for a cancer patient. Coley has since completed her training and I am sure she did it with flying colors. I am lucky to still have Coley as one of my nurses.
Texas Oncology Patient
Emily Ford, BSN, RN
I never imagined I would be diagnosed with Stage 4 NSCLC. Neither did I expect the lovely and caring Nurse Emily to be my Daisy at the other end of what can be a scary time. She has never failed to address all my fears, issues, and questions in a manner as if she was a lifelong friend than simply a medical professional. No matter how sensitive or personal the concern, she always mixes her innate compassion into her advice and response. She has never failed to respond promptly, no matter how late in the day I message. This permits me to make decisions I would otherwise be hesitant to make. As long as we have flowers like Emily blooming in our oncology garden, more daisies will sprout and blossom by her example. I'm not sure even the beauty of the flower does her justice. Despite working from the shadows of the portal, she has helped me see the beauty of the fight and to know we're not alone on the journey. Please give my Daisy the recognition she so richly deserves!
Texas Oncology Patient
Erin Selvage, BSN, RN
Erin is always willing to go above and beyond, not just to give quality care, but personalize care. Being a cancer nurse can be busy and hectic, and for a leader like Erin she is always facing demands around her throughout her day. No matter how busy the day becomes, she never rushes through caring part of the job.
She makes me feel seen and important. She brings a sense comfort during the hardest situation in life one can face and can provide needed distraction to the less-than-ideal circumstances of going through chemo. She also trains new nurses who always seem to mirror her level of professionalism and personal touch. She is truly a game changer in her job. Beyond her duties, she is just an amazingly compassionate human being who has made an impact on my life, and I'm sure has done the same for countless others.
Texas Oncology Employee
Hannah Kingcade, BSN, RN, OCN
Hannah comes to work with a goal to make a patient feel safe and comfortable. Her warm demeanor and smile can ease the anxiety in the patients. She is very thorough with explaining her steps of care with the patients. She goes above and beyond to ensure the labs are safe prior to proceeding with administration of treatment. She works closely with the physicians to ensure patient safety. She comes to work with a positive attitude and smile on her face, willing to handle extra patients as needed. She maintains her OCN and Chemotherapy/Immunotherapy Certifications, to support her experience level. She is an awesome team player, willing to coach or teach new employees. She attends numerous educational in-services, so that she is current on new treatment options. She is an asset to our patients and TXO, shown through her drive to learn and professionalism.
Texas Oncology Employee
Kina Taylor, RN
You can always count on Kina. She's quick to offer a smile, a listening ear, and a hand to hold to whoever needs it. Kina is very often one of the first people our patients see when walking into the clinic and they instantly smile when they see her brightly colored scrubs and sneakers. She intentionally wears neon and fun outfits because so many people comment how it makes a difference in their day, whether it matches the good news they are receiving or cheers them up on a long day. It's something so simple that means a lot to our patients, though I don't think they know she does it for them. I'm so thankful to work alongside her.
Texas Oncology Employee
Ladan Ghadiri, BSN, RN, OCN
Ladan is a lovely person, professional, friendly, and truly concerned for her patients. Ladan is full of compassion for both her job and those she cares for. From the moment you walk in, Ladan makes sure you are comfortable. My daughter stays with me during the infusion and Ladan always assures we have a place with room for both of us to be together. Ladan’s daily activities keep her very busy, but she finds the time to assure you understand the treatment and answer any questions. Ladan also makes the time more pleasant and personable by sharing a little bit about herself. Though her day is very full with critical activities, I always feel at ease while in her care. Ladan has found a place she does wonders in and she opens her heart in special ways, as a person who gives her all in being a caregiver.
Texas Oncology Patient
Lauren Lipari, BSN, RN
This woman! Amazing. My whole family loves her (they haven't met her; they just know how much easier she has made this for me). She welcomes me, TRULY cares about me as a patient and a human. It is obvious she is this way to ALL of us going through treatment. She brings light and love to this difficult journey and I could not have done it without her!
Texas Oncology Patient
Madeline Baumgartner, RN
Madeleine is simply the BEST. If only I had just one story to share...! I've been coming for infusions now pretty much every two weeks for the last three and a half years ... so I have a LOT of Madeleine stories. She doesn't get assigned to me every time, but I always see her doing her thing. I am always in awe! She is not just a super-efficient and competent nurse, but she obviously cares. I feel truly seen, heard, and understood when I'm in her care. She never patronizes or talks down to her patients. She treats us like PEOPLE, not sick people. When I'm sad, she lets me be sad in a way that honors and validates my feelings. When I'm bored, she lifts me up with her wicked sense of humor and her unflinching style. One especially bad day, she gave me a little bracelet she made. She took it right off her wrist and put it on mine. I haven't taken it off since! I stare at it and think of her whenever I feel low. If I could have a wish, it would to be more like her! Thanks to Madeleine and the rest of her colleagues (Joy! Thomas! Mo! Victoria!) in the infusion room, I actually ENJOY coming here to take my treatment. Madeleine makes it FUN. Thank you is inadequate and so is a daisy award...but it is very much deserved.
Texas Oncology Patient
Meagan Jones, RN
Meagan is THE BEST! She is so kind to all the patients. She knows everyone by name and remembers thing as about us each and every week! She is the brightest spot in my day while getting chemotherapy. I actually enjoy coming to receive my treatment because I get to see Meagan! In a journey as hard as cancer is, knowing that there is a caring nurse to help me through means more than I have words to express! She spreads joy and kindness every day! Her bubbly personality brings such light to an otherwise dark time. I watch her put smiles on patients faces each week. She shares encouragement from daily devotionals and has the most amazing empathy! She listens to each patient and offers help and encouragement to everyone.
Texas Oncology Patient
Melissa Llanes, RN
Melissa always has a smile on her face and is very attentive. She truly takes care of all her patients with heart. Whenever there is a question or concern, she will do her best to resolve the matter with her experience and get advice from the doctors promptly. It takes a truly special person to be such a dedicated person to be an Oncology nurse. I have been a patient at this location for 11 years and am truly thankful for her positive attitude. It truly makes a difference to have someone who cares and pushes you to keep fighting!
Texas Oncology Patient
Melissa Sykes, BSN, RN, OCN
Melissa goes above and beyond in everything she does. She is officially our clinic nurse, but she helps with triage, scheduling, infusion, insurance, etc. She is the "go to" for the clinic. She is constantly trying to improve everyone's workday. If she sees a Medical Assistant is having difficulty, she steps in and
Helps. If a doctor is having a rough day, she asks how she can help. Anyone in need, Melissa will step in and assist willingly. She is an excellent patient coordinator for our C1D1 patients, and she makes sure all of the patient's tests are complete, as well as all appointments for the C1D1 are scheduled. She is a patient advocate all the time. She will send email after email to make sure an urgent patient is being "worked" in order to get the patient on the chemo schedule. She steps up and helps any way and every way she can. She has an extremely coordinated and organized manner with her day, and we can all learn something from Melissa. Not only is she amazing as our Clinic RN, but she is also very aware of her co-workers at all times. She started our Birthday Train that recognizes the birthdays of our employees and physicians. She is truly a kindhearted person who is professional, thoughtful, and thorough. When you look up our 5 Pillars, Melissa is there among all of the definitions. I literally cannot say enough good things about her, and I know I am not doing her justice.
Texas Oncology Employee
Mindy Haynes, RN, OCN
All the nurses in the infusion center are compassionate, caring, and a joy to be around. I appreciate all of them. They are a great team, but Mindy holds a special place with me. She has helped me when I’ve been extremely anxious. She is patient, understanding and perfectly navigates care while moving things forward in a respectful and caring way. I am so grateful for her; she is amazing. I appreciate her taking time to make sure all was good; that is so valuable to me. She asks great questions, assesses me well and ask how to help when she can tell something is wrong. She also uses humor to distract me when needed. Her entire approach to my care and treatment is encouraging to my heart.
Texas Oncology Patient
Pat Balzac, RN, OCN
Pat was my first nurse to give me my treatment. Pat was the only nurse that explained what she was doing every time. She helped with my fears of needles. Pat takes time to listen and then thoroughly explains in a way I can understand. Pat always makes me feel comfortable. She is caring, understands my fears and
somehow calms me down. I am grateful to have met Pat 7+ years ago and thankful for her being there for me. I'm not just a number to her, I'm somebody. I Love You Pat! Thank you for what you do for all of us!
Texas Oncology Patient