Though COVID-19 has made for a challenging year in healthcare, Guthrie County Hospital and Clinics still had much to celebrate Thursday as they held award presentations for outstanding nurses and certified nursing assistants.

Ten nominees were announced for the fourth annual DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Award which is an international award given to an extraordinary nurse. Chief Nursing Officer Greg Opseth read aloud the nominations given by patients and community members, and Jessica Malloy was announced as this year’s recipient. An Exira resident, Malloy has worked at GCH for two and a half years. She said she was grateful to receive the honor, “Well, this year has been tough I think on everybody, especially healthcare workers, I think we’re, everybody’s kind of going through a lot but we’re all in it together.”

Out of four nominees this year’s recipient of the GCH-exclusive Sunshine Award for an extraordinary certified nursing assistant is Cris Schachtner, who clearly exemplified the award title after her name was announced, “Thank you! I deserve this.”

Schachtner is a Guthrie Center resident who has worked at GCH for five years. She shares the attitude and spirit she brings to her patients and coworkers, “The only thing I have in my mind as a CNA is to have fun, not only go to work, something like that. I like to have fun, interesting days to give our patients, you know? Because the patients are the ones that we are looking forward to (if) they’re here sick or something, you know, we need to make them feel comfortable, make them feel happy, make them feel that they are home.”

For COVID-19 precautions the event was not open to the public, but you can view a livestream on the Raccoon Valley Radio Facebook page.