Paula Piazza, an 11-year veteran of Norwood Hospital, earns her 2nd Daisy Award

Norwood, MA – October 23, 2019 – Paula Piazza, RN, Operating Room (OR), recently earned the Norwood Hospital DAISY Award for the second half of 2019. Nurses at Norwood Hospital are honored throughout the year with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The award is part of the DAISY Foundation's program to recognize the super-human efforts nurses perform every day and has been presented at Norwood Hospital since 2014.  

Piazza, a long-term resident of Sharon, MA, was nominated by her colleague Dawn McGann, RN. She was commended for her overall dedication to her job and always being available to help out her colleagues. “I work with a dedicated, professional, close-knit family and really have a great team,” said Piazza. “My colleagues are the best.”

Piazza has been a nurse for 13 years, 11 of which she has served at Norwood Hospital. Previously, before pursuing nursing, she had an earlier connection to Norwood Hospital working on the switchboard while her children were young. “After several years at Norwood Hospital, I made a mid-life career change and decided to follow my first dream of becoming a nurse,” she said. “I went to nursing school, then immediately from nursing school I went right into the Operating Room. I didn’t want to do anything else.”

Piazza believes she thrives in the OR environment because it is an overall good fit, a sentiment echoed by her colleagues. Piazza is “super organized” and enjoys the high pressure challenge of the operating room environment. Her passion for health care has also been passed down to the next generation. Piazza’s two adult daughters have also pursued careers in health care; one as a speech therapist and the other as a nurse practitioner. 

During a surprise celebration, Piazza’s colleagues presented her with flowers and an award certificate. “As a family of nurses and colleagues, we are proud to honor Paula by participating in the DAISY Award program. Nurses like Paula are heroes every day and it’s important they know their work is highly valued,” says Justine DeFronzo, MBA, BSN, RN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Norwood Hospital. “Congratulations to Paula and to all of our DAISY honorees and nominees and thank you for the incredible work you do.”

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, CA, 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.

The 2019 recipients of the DAISY Award at Norwood Hospital also include Barbara Varney, RN, Emergency Department.

About Norwood Hospital
Norwood Hospital is a full-service, 215-bed community hospital for adults and children with a focus on delivering world-class health care along with the latest advances in technology and treatment options. With first class specialists, innovative treatment options, and state-of-the-art technology, including robotic-assisted surgeries for joint replacement, the hospital campus provides exceptional care throughout Norfolk County and surrounding areas. Norwood Hospital has received many awards including 2018 Healthgrades Patient Safety Excellence Award, MBSAQIP (Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program) Comprehensive Center Accreditation Award, and has been designated as two Blue Distinction+ Centers by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts for Maternity Care and for Knee and Hip Replacement. Norwood Hospital is part of the Steward Health Care System LLC. Additional information is available at www.norwood-hospital.org.

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