The Medical Center of Southeast Texas is excited to announce the recipient of the Sunshine Award for April 2022 is Tristan Burns, IMS CCC-SLP, a Speech Language Pathologist in the Therapy Department. It just so happens that Tristan received her award on National Speech Pathologist Day, and we think that means this award was meant to be!

Read below to see why Tristan was nominated and chosen as the award recipient!

"Tristan Burns has been a speech language pathologist with the Medical Center of SETX for 7 years! Tristan covers speech therapy services for the whole hospital from outpatient to NICU to telemetry. We are so happy to have her on our therapy team. 

Tristan demonstrates her knowledge and skills of speech language pathology by carefully taking extra time to explain the evaluations, treatment, and recommendations to patients as well as family members and other medical professionals. She always shows compassion for her patients."

"Tristan Burns as well as radiology members assisted a patient of whom originally came for an outpatient Modified Barium Swallow Study Therapy to be admitted to hospital. The patient failed the MBS to a severity of needing alternative means of nutrition/hydration via peg tube placement. Tristan was persistent with calling the referring physician with test results and recommendations as well as assisting other staff to coordinate the admission for this patient.



In addition to discussing and demonstrating all results and recommendations of Modified Barium Swallow Study to the patient on initial day of procedure, Tristan returned per the patient’s request the next day to further explain the procedure and reasoning for the need to have nothing by mouth.



The patient profusely thanked Tristan and said that he now knows the reason why he was coughing/choking during eating. The patient returned the following week in his work clothes with cookies for Tristan to thank her in person, stating that he feels so much better now.



The patient was able to return to work in less than a week and was able to give bolus feeds to himself four times daily. Tristan was so grateful and thankful to see the patient back at the hospital in his work clothes with energy and positivity that it brought her to tears. Tristan tearfully said “This is why I do what I do! To see the success of my patients.”

The Sunshine award exists to help recognize hospital staff members that support nursing staff! Without sunshine, DAISYs wouldn't be able to grow and likewise, nurses at The Medical Center wouldn't be able to do their jobs without so many people that work in the background to make everything possible.