FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February , 2026
Deerfield Beach, FL: Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI) is proud to award the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) with the prestigious Lotus Recognition™ Award. We honor their exceptional commitment to Watson’s Caring Science and the 10 Caritas Processes® across leadership, caregiving practices, and healing environments.
The Lotus Recognition™️ Award celebrates organizations that do more than embrace caring in theory—it recognizes those who live it every day. At CAVHS, Caring Science is woven into the fabric of the organization, shaping how Veterans are cared for, how staff are supported, and how leadership shows up with presence and purpose.
Serving more than 100,000 Veterans across Arkansas, CAVHS has intentionally created environments that uplift dignity, foster connection, and honor the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Through visible caring arts and humanistic expressions, the organization creates caring moments for Veterans, families, and staff alike.
"Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System is proud to receive the first Lotus Recognition that has been awarded toa VA facility. The Lotus Recognition identifies organizations that demonstrate ongoing commitment to authentic caring in the healing and wellness environments. This commitment is evident in the VA mission and in the multiple ways we strive to provide caring and healing every day to our Heroes, their caregivers and to each other"
Across CAVHS facilities, Gratitude Trees stand as living symbols of hope, resilience, and appreciation. These evolving displays invite reflection and participation from both staff and Veterans, creating shared moments of meaning and connection. Caritas-inspired visuals such as posters, calendars with daily reflections, and creative media. These serve as daily reminders of the values that guide care and reinforce a culture rooted in compassion and healing.
Caring Science is also brought to life through deep and meaningful caring moments, especially those that honor dignity and human connection. CAVHS has been recognized for their acts of loving-kindness, authentic presence, and extraordinary compassion. These moments, often shared through storytelling and reflection, affirm the sacredness of everyday care and celebrate staff who go above and beyond for Veterans and their families.
Leadership commitment plays a vital role in sustaining this culture. CAVHS nursing leaders utilize Watson Caring Science through visible presence, intentional grounding, and relational engagement. Caring Science is embedded into nurse role expectations, onboarding, and shared governance. This safeguards that new staff are introduced to the 10 Caritas Processes®️ not as an abstract concept, but as a lived practice from day one.
“This Lotus Award honors nurses whose 'loving-kindness' shapes a culture of excellence, advancing Veteran-centered care at CAVHS through unwavering integrity, steadfast accountability, and authentic compassion in service to those who have borne the battle"
The organization has also made a significant investment in care for the caregiver. Dedicated Wellness Rooms throughout CAVHS provide restorative spaces for staff to pause, reflect, and recharge. These environments are designed with calming imagery, mindfulness tools, and healing aesthetics to offer emotional and spiritual renewal during demanding workdays.
Further strengthening staff well-being, CAVHS has implemented Healing Circles, creating safe and supportive spaces for reflection, storytelling, and connection. Offered both in person and virtually, these circles foster resilience, empathy, and a sense of shared humanity—helping staff feel supported, seen, and less alone in their work.
By honoring the VA Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System with the Lotus Recognition™ Award, WCSI celebrates an organization that exemplifies what it means to care deeply and intentionally—for Veterans, caregivers, and the communities they serve. CAVHS stands as a powerful example of how Caring Science can transform environments, elevate experiences, and sustain healing at every level of care.
ENDS
About CAVHS: The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) is a tertiary level 1a facility with 505 beds and 3,800 employees. As a flagship of the South-Central VA Health Care Network (VISN 16), CAVHS provides comprehensive medical, surgical, and psychiatric care to Veterans across the state of Arkansas. Learn more at: https://www.va.gov/central-arkansas-health-care/
About Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI): The Watson Caring Science Institute (WCSI) is an international non-profit organization that advances the philosophies, theories, and practices of Human Caring/Caring Science, founded by Jean Watson, Ph.D., RN, AHN-BC, FAAN, LL (AAN), WCSI’s Founder & Director. Focusing on research, education, praxis, leadership, and legacy, the institute aims to widen the development and understanding of Watson’s Caring Science to inform our notion of quality care and healing environments through various educational programs, nurse scientific research, partnerships, events and affiliations. For more information, please visit www.watsoncaringscience.org.
For further information about Lotus Recognition contact Dianne Reid, Program Enrichment Director, at dianne@watsoncaringscience.org