CHICAGO – August 3, 2011 – The Emergency Nurses Association today announced the recipients of the first annual Lantern Awards. The Lantern Award recognizes emergency departments that exemplify exceptional and innovative performance in the core areas of leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.
The award is a visible symbol of an emergency department’s commitment to quality, presence of a healthy work environment and accomplishment in incorporating evidence-based practice and innovation into emergency care. By achieving the Lantern Award recognition, emergency departments demonstrate to their peers that they exemplify a culture of excellence in emergency care including strong leadership, practice credibility and workplace recognition.
“Emergency Departments are the safety net for millions of patients every year. They see patients when they are most in need of help. The Lantern Award was designed to recognize those departments whose commitment to excellence truly exceeds normal practice,” said AnnMarie Papa, DNP, RN, CEN, NE-BC, FAEN, and 2011 president of the Emergency Nurses Association.
“By applying for and receiving the Lantern Award, these emergency departments have set themselves apart. They have submitted themselves and their practices to the scrutiny of experts and have been recognized for their commitment to quality patient care,” added Papa.
The 20 emergency departments recognized by ENA were evaluated on a range of performance and outcome metrics, as well as qualitative questions about noteworthy practices and attributes of the emergency department focusing on their commitment to excellence and innovation.
The emergency departments recognized are:
Aultman Hospital Emergency Department (Canton, Ohio)
Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center Emergency Department, Bon Secours Health System Inc. (Mechanicsville, Virginia)
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emergency Services, Scottish Rite Campus (Atlanta, Georgia)
Edward Hospital Emergency Department, Edward Hospital (Naperville, Illinois)
Emergency Department, Liberty Campus, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (Liberty Township, Ohio)
Flower Mound Emergency Center, Medical Center of Lewisville (Flower Mound, Texas)
Geisinger Medical Center Emergency Department, Geisinger Health System (Danville, Pennsylvania)
Kadlec Regional Medical Center Emergency Department (Richland, Washington)
Marc & Laura Andreessen Emergency Department, Stanford Hospital and Clinics (Stanford, California)
Medical Center of the Rockies, Emergency Department (Loveland, Colorado)
Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital Emergency Department, Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital (Lake Forest, Illinois)
Oak Hill Hospital Emergency Care Center, HCA (Brooksville, Florida)
Overlook Medical Center, Emergency Services Union Campus, Atlantic Health System (Summit, New Jersey)
Paoli Hospital Emergency Department, Paoli Hospital, Main Line Health (Paoli, Pennsylvania)
Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, ER7 Emergency Department, Lifebridge Health (Baltimore, Maryland)
South Jersey Healthcare Elmer Emergency Department, South Jersey Healthcare Elmer (Elmer, New Jersey)
St. John Hospital and Medical Center Emergency Department (Detroit, Michigan)
The University of Kansas Emergency Department, The University of Kansas Hospital (Kansas City, Kansas)
University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital Emergency Department (Lexington, Kentucky)
University of Wisconsin Hospital Emergency Department, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (Madison, Wisconsin)
The Lantern Award designation is valid for two years. After that period, emergency departments must reapply, be evaluated and meet the award criteria in order to regain their Lantern Award recognition.
The Lantern Award name was selected by a survey of ENA members and is reminiscent of Florence Nightingale who is credited with changing nursing from a mostly untrained job to a skilled medical profession. She is sometimes referred to as the “Lady of the Lamp” for her actions during the Crimean War when she would work deep into the night checking on wounded British soldiers as they slept.
For more information about the Lantern Award, please contact Anthony Phipps at aphipps@ena.org.
About the Emergency Nurses Association: ENA is the only professional nurses association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing and emergency care through advocacy, expertise, innovation and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA serves as the voice of more than 39,000 members and their patients through research, publications, professional development, injury prevention and patient education. Additional information is available at ENA’s Web site www.ena.org.