FORT WAINWRIGHT, Alaska -- A Medical Department Activity-Alaska nurse assigned to the Kamish Soldier Centered Medical Home was named the fourth quarter recipient of the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses this week.

Rebecca Conner, assigned as a nurse case manager at MEDDAC-AK since, was nominated by Capt. Amber Stratton, clinical nurse officer in charge at Kamish, for her extraordinary care of the Soldiers who come through her office.

The Daisy Foundation was founded in 1999 by the family of J. Patrick Barnes after he was hospitalized for eight weeks before succumbing to an auto-immune disease. His family created the National Daisy Award to express gratitude to nurses for the work they do for patients and their families every day.

According to Stratton, Conner always models compassion and empathy during patient care, but her ability to make a significant difference in the life of a current patient who was recently diagnosed with diabetes is why Conner is so deserving of this quarter's Daisy Award.

"Ms. Conner worked diligently with the Soldier on education and understanding his new diagnosis," said Stratton. "The Soldier went from being unreceptive and not showing to appointments to being a fully informed patient who embraced the diagnoses and turned his health around."

Conner not only impacts the care of Soldiers who pass through her door, but also her coworkers.

"Her coworkers, both nurses and providers, seek her out as a mentor," said Stratton. "Not only is she a joy to have around, but her dedication to case managing a challenging population is unmatched and an impeccable model of nursing."

Conner, who has worked at MEDDAC-AK since 2007 as a nurse case manager, first at the Warrior Transition Battalion and now at Kamish, works to assist Soldiers with serious medical conditions as they navigate through the health care system.

"My goal is to return them to the ability to manage care on their own or to provide them a warm hand-off to another case manager at their next duty station oar in the VA system," said Conner.

"Taking care of Soldiers is truly an honor."