TUPELO, Mississippi—North Mississippi Medical Center recently presented the DAISY Award to registered nurse Karla Parham of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation.

Parham was nominated by a patient and his wife. “Karla is very personable and able to make her patients feel more comfortable in their medical surrounding,” they wrote in her nomination. “It was as if something was missing when Karla was off. We missed her conversation, encouragement, reminders, and questions to determine how he was doing and if he felt he was progressing. Karla’s presence increased our confidence. Her presence created a more comfortable atmosphere that also gave us a feeling of being watched over with expertise and caring.”

A 1984 graduate of Pontotoc High School, Parham earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Mississippi State University in 1988. She worked in graphic design for several years before joining the NMMC Wellness Center in 1992 as a member services representative. She changed careers after earning her associate degree in nursing from Itawamba Community College in 1994. She worked in Labor and Delivery before transferring to Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation 25 years ago. She earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of North Alabama in Florence in 2006.

She and her husband, Greg, live in Tupelo and have three children—Madison, Max and Molly.

The DAISY Award is an international program that rewards and celebrates the extraordinary compassionate and skillful care given by nurses every day. Nomination forms are available throughout NMMC or at www.nmhs.net/daisy-award. For more information, call (662) 377-3431 or email daisyawards@nmhs.net.