Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/551105
6 | PULSE S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 E ven if you've always been the picture of health, chances are you've crossed paths with a nurse, whether it's in the delivery room, emergency department or during a routine checkup at your doctor's office. Nurses are the glue of the health care world, providing not only a compassionate ear but essential medical care. So it's no surprise that many of the pages of this issue of Pulse are dedicated to Torrance Memorial Medical Center's "angels in comfortable shoes." If you or a loved one has ever had to stay in a hospital, you may have felt that simply saying "thank you" to the nurses just doesn't seem to be enough to convey your gratitude. Mark and Bonnie Barnes felt that way and decided to create The DAISY Award program in 1999 to honor the memory of their son, Patrick Barnes. On pages 14 and 15, we celebrate recent DAISY Award recipients. And visit page 50 to sneak a glimpse of the new DAISY Award "Healer's Touch" statue at Torrance Memorial. Pro surfer Alex Gray has experienced firsthand the healing power of nurses. In "Soul Surfer" (page 20) he reveals how, in 2008, he was admitted to Torrance Memorial aer a bacterial infection led to a bout of pleurisy: "I had nurses coming in on the hour, which was amazing. Having that amount of supervision was comforting because I was scared— very scared." Gray's positive experience proves how competent nurses can make a significant difference in a patient's final health outcome. —The Editors CONTRIBUTORS CAROLE JAKUCS, RN, BSN, PHN Carole is a freelance writer, certified public health nurse and health/fitness enthusiast who writes for a variety of publications. NANCY STEINER Nancy is a freelance writer specializing in health, medicine and human interest. Her work has appeared in Los Angeles Times Magazine, Southbay Health and other publications. KRISTIN REYNOLDS Kristin is a journalist and PR executive currently working at the Manhattan Beach-based nonprofit Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. A North Carolina native, she resides in Hermosa Beach. E D I T O R ' S L E T T E R