Berlin, MD — Atlantic General Hospital is pleased to announce that Payton Lynch, RN, of the Atlantic General Wound Care Center, has been selected as its DAISY Award recipient for January 2026.
Lynch was nominated by a co-worker for her positivity, passion, and patient-centered care:
“Payton Lynch is one of the best nurses I have had the honor to work with in my nursing career, and even better, I get to be her clinical coordinator. Managing someone with her motivation and passion in patient care makes my job easy. She goes out of her way for her patients every day. I could go over so many examples that could fill a book on what I have witnessed in just over a year of working with Payton.
We have a patient who has difficulty ambulating with a walker from his vehicle to the wound center, and he has a standing appointment weekly at the same time. Payton watches the clock, and if she doesn’t see him, she will go out to the door with a wheelchair to assist him if he is struggling, and he is always so appreciative. He is a very proud man who insists on trying to use his walker even as he grows weaker, but when he sees her with that wheelchair, it is like Christmas. His face lights up with relief, and he says thank you and tells her he loves her.
He says he knows we are too busy for her to do what she does, but he is so happy she cares and helps him the way she does. He tells me every time he comes in that he is so thankful for her and that she is the best nurse. I always thank him for telling me that and for allowing us to help him get to his appointments. He says he worries that he can’t do it, but knowing she is here gives him hope that once he gets to the door, she will be there to help him.
Our wound center team members love working with Payton and look to her for guidance and advice. She is a younger nurse, but with her positive demeanor and her passion for learning and research, I think she shines as a beacon of what we need in nursing: Someone like Payton to be recognized for her efforts and resilience, passion for excellence and patient advocacy, lifelong learning, and promotion of positivity in the workplace.
Payton approaches every responsibility with dedication and an unwavering work ethic. She continues to work full-time while taking multiple online courses toward her bachelor’s degree, leads new‑hire orientation twice a month, manages the wound center’s rolling inventory orders, and serves as the primary preceptor for all new team members. She truly deserves this recognition and award.”
Lynch was honored with the DAISY Award in a ceremony before her colleagues. She received a certificate commending her for being an extraordinary nurse, and a sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe.
The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, California, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Barnes died at age 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon autoimmune disease.
The care Barnes 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.
To nominate a TidalHealth registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN) for this award, visit tidalhealth.org/recognition.
