McLEOD HEALTH 20 FEBRUARY 2026

Chireen Hyler, MSN, BSN, RN, CEN, CTRN, TCRN, a Share-the-Care staff nurse, was recently named the first DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient for McLeod Health.

McLeod Health has a longstanding partnership with the DAISY Foundation to recognize Nurses who are true examples of Nursing Excellence. As the foundation has grown, additional recognition programs have been developed to honor nurses wherever they work, in whatever role they serve and throughout their career.

The DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award was created to recognize those nurses who have devoted their life’s work to the compassionate care of others. Recipients of this award are nominated for their dedication to nursing through active mentoring, role modeling, advocating for their patients and promoting the positive image of nursing. They serve as a beacon of inspiration to those at all stages of their career and in the various and important roles of nursing.

Tony Derrick, Chief Nursing Officer for McLeod Regional Medical Center, offered these remarks, “Chireen is a distinguished nursing professional whose career spans more than four decades.

“Throughout her extensive career as a registered nurse, Chireen has served in a wide range of clinical roles. Her broad clinical background allows her to bring depth, realism and practical insight into every teaching environment. She previously served as an adjunct instructor for Florence-Darlington Technical College and currently serves as a clinical instructor for Francis Marion University.

“Her decades of experience, combined with her passion for teaching and mentoring, make her an invaluable guide for the next generation of nurses,” said Derrick.

Beyond education, Chireen is deeply committed to service. She is a lifetime member of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) and currently serves as President of the Pee Dee ENA. She is also the Lead Nurse for the Pee Dee Chapter of the Nurses Honor Guard and now serves as a Member-at-Large for the South Carolina Nurses Honor Guard.

Chireen received the Palmetto Gold Award in 2004 and was named Pee Dee AHEC Educator of the Year in 2011.

“Chireen is truly stellar—the epitome of a nurse’s nurse. She is deeply caring, widely respected and genuinely cherished by those she teaches, works alongside and serves. A steadfast advocate and enforcer of evidence-based practice, she lives and breathes nursing and has dedicated her entire life to advancing the profession.

“Through her leadership, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to excellence, Chireen has not only shaped countless nurses but has also continuously moved nursing forward—as she continues to do so every day,” added Derrick.

About the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award

The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, California, and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. Patrick died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique way of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

The DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award gives staff a way to express their gratitude and recognize the legacies that have sustained and shaped the heritage of nursing. Honorees are selected by the DAISY committee, led by nurses at McLeod Regional Medical Center. The award presentation takes place in a location that allows for recipients to be surrounded and celebrated by their staff and their own leadership team.

Each honoree receives a certificate that reads: “To devote your life’s work to the service and care of others deserves a very special Award. To do this as a Nurse deserves a very special DAISY Award. Thank you for the compassion and skill with which you have treated all of your patients, their families and your colleagues.” The honoree is also given a lapel pin, specially designed by artist Ann Hand, as well as a beautiful and meaningful sculpture called “A Healer’s Touch,” hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa, on a pedestal with a personalized plaque attached.