DAISY Lifetime Achievement Awarded to Kandy Collins

​Congratulation to Kandy Collins, APRN, PMH, CNS of Lake Charles Memorial Health System Behavioral Health who has been awarded the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award.

From the nominator:

It is with great pride and deep admiration that we nominate Kandy Collins, APRN, PMH, CNS, for the Lifetime Achievement Award. Kandy’s career in behavioral health spans decades, marked by unwavering dedication, quiet strength, and transformative leadership.

Kandy has long been a pillar in the behavioral health community, known for her calm demeanor, thoughtful communication, and steadfast professionalism. Her leadership style is one of quiet confidence—never seeking the spotlight, yet always guiding others with clarity, compassion, and purpose. She is selective with her words, but when she speaks, her insight resonates deeply with those around her.

Throughout her career, Kandy has served in numerous roles, each with the same unwavering commitment to excellence and patient-centered care. Her return to Lake Charles Memorial Health System was a moment of celebration for all who have had the privilege of working alongside her. As the current Director of Behavioral Health Services, she continues to elevate the standard of care, mentor future leaders, and advocate for the needs of patients and staff alike.

Kandy’s legacy is not only in the programs she has built or the policies she has shaped, but in the countless lives she has touched—patients, families, colleagues, and communities. Her work has left an indelible mark on behavioral health services in our region, and her influence will be felt for generations to come.

We are honored to recognize Kandy Collins for her lifetime of service, leadership, and excellence. She embodies the very spirit of this award, and we are grateful for all she has given to our organization and the field of behavioral health.

About DAISY:

In late 1999, at the age of 33, Patrick Barnes awoke with some blood blisters in his mouth. Having survived Hodgkin's Disease twice, he was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with the auto-immune disease, ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura).

Said his father, Mark Barnes, "We are so blessed that we were able to spend the eight weeks of his hospitalization with him and his family. During those weeks, we experienced the best of Nursing. We were there to see the clinical skill that dealt with his very complex medical situation, the fast thinking of nurses who saved his life more than once, and that nursing excellence that took years to hone to the best of the profession. But frankly, as a patient family, we rather expected that Pat would have great clinical care. That was why he was in the hospital. What we did not expect was the way his nurses delivered that care - the kindness and compassion they gave Pat and all of us in his family every day. We were awed by the way the nurses touched him and spoke with him, even when he was on a ventilator and totally sedated. The way they informed and educated us eased our minds. They truly helped us through the darkest hours of our lives, with soft voices of hope and strong loving hugs that to this day, we still feel."

Just days after he died, the family began talking about what they would do to help fill the giant hole in their hearts that Pat’s passing had left. His wife came up with the acronym, DAISY, standing for diseases attacking the immune system. As they discussed what to do in Patrick’s memory, first and foremost, they wanted to say Thank You for the gifts nurses give their patients and families every day. That is when the family created The DAISY Award For Extraordinary Nurses.

For more information regarding Kandy's award, click here >>>