Katie Garno
September 2025
Katie
Garno
,
BSN, MSN
Urgent Care
SSM Dean Medical Group
Madison
,
WI
United States
Through Katie’s leadership, we were able to provide a place for these families during what was most likely the worst day of their lives.
Discover how a surprise reunion celebrated one nurse’s extraordinary leadership in supporting a community devastated by a fatal school shooting.
It was a case of “Who let the dogs in?” at SSM Health Dean Medical Clinic on Madison’s east side. Seven specially trained support dogs and their owners arrived over the noon hour to join in a surprise DAISY Award presentation for Clinical Manager and RN Katie Garno.
The canines and dozens of Katie’s coworkers and friends squeezed into a lower-level conference room to celebrate the extraordinary leadership that Katie provided when SSM Health teams rallied to assist a community beset by the shooting incident at nearby Abundant Life Christian School.
On that day, the east side clinic was quickly turned into a counseling and reunification center for students and their families impacted by the tragedy. The canine support teams heeded the call for help, as did many others across SSM Health and the broader community.
It was clear when Katie opened the door to the conference room that she was surprised and overwhelmed by the heartfelt reunion of so many well-wishers, both those in the room and virtually present.
A colleague and Laboratory Manager, Tammy Amundsen, who nominated Katie for the DAISY Award, read aloud the words she used to describe Katie’s efforts on the day of the shooting:
“Thousands of patient appointments needed to be canceled immediately as the clinic had to prepare for over 1,000 family members to show up. Katie quickly mobilized the staff at the clinic to prepare. Within five minutes, families were showing up at the clinic, very worried and scared families. Katie worked with law enforcement to determine how we could all best help.
Eventually, around 400 students arrived as well to be united, one by one, with their families. Through Katie’s leadership, we were able to provide a place for these families during what was most likely the worst day of their lives.
The staff offered comfort, water, food, diapers, formula, and other needs families didn’t think to grab in their rush to find out about their school-age students. Katie remained calm and collected throughout the very challenging ordeal.”
As Administrator Karissa Wellnitz and Manager Tiffany Busch presented Katie with the honor, Katie told the group:
“I shouldn’t get this award as a single person. It is representative of every single person who helped out that day. Every day, I think of things that were so amazing about that day, all the people and the dogs who were there for those children. Thank you all for what you did.”
It was a case of “Who let the dogs in?” at SSM Health Dean Medical Clinic on Madison’s east side. Seven specially trained support dogs and their owners arrived over the noon hour to join in a surprise DAISY Award presentation for Clinical Manager and RN Katie Garno.
The canines and dozens of Katie’s coworkers and friends squeezed into a lower-level conference room to celebrate the extraordinary leadership that Katie provided when SSM Health teams rallied to assist a community beset by the shooting incident at nearby Abundant Life Christian School.
On that day, the east side clinic was quickly turned into a counseling and reunification center for students and their families impacted by the tragedy. The canine support teams heeded the call for help, as did many others across SSM Health and the broader community.
It was clear when Katie opened the door to the conference room that she was surprised and overwhelmed by the heartfelt reunion of so many well-wishers, both those in the room and virtually present.
A colleague and Laboratory Manager, Tammy Amundsen, who nominated Katie for the DAISY Award, read aloud the words she used to describe Katie’s efforts on the day of the shooting:
“Thousands of patient appointments needed to be canceled immediately as the clinic had to prepare for over 1,000 family members to show up. Katie quickly mobilized the staff at the clinic to prepare. Within five minutes, families were showing up at the clinic, very worried and scared families. Katie worked with law enforcement to determine how we could all best help.
Eventually, around 400 students arrived as well to be united, one by one, with their families. Through Katie’s leadership, we were able to provide a place for these families during what was most likely the worst day of their lives.
The staff offered comfort, water, food, diapers, formula, and other needs families didn’t think to grab in their rush to find out about their school-age students. Katie remained calm and collected throughout the very challenging ordeal.”
As Administrator Karissa Wellnitz and Manager Tiffany Busch presented Katie with the honor, Katie told the group:
“I shouldn’t get this award as a single person. It is representative of every single person who helped out that day. Every day, I think of things that were so amazing about that day, all the people and the dogs who were there for those children. Thank you all for what you did.”