Flower Mound Emergency Center earns Prestigious Lantern Award from Emergency Nurses Association

Aug. 8, 2011 - PRLog -- The Emergency Nurses Association recently announced that Flower Mound Emergency Center was one of 20 recipients of the first annual Lantern Awards. The Lantern Award is given to 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, Flower Mound Emergency Center has set themselves apart.  They have subjected 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 wide variety 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.

Flower Mound Emergency Center opened in the fall of 2009 and provides emergency services for both ambulance and walk-in patients 24 hours a day. “This award reflects our commitment to provide compassionate, quality service to our community and the entire Denton County area. Our goal is to deliver excellent family-centered care while striving to positively impact the way patients and families experience emergency healthcare services,” said Michelle Underwood, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN, Assistant Vice President Freestanding Emergency Operations for Flower Mound Emergency Center.

Flower Mound Emergency Center is the FIRST facility in Texas to receive this designation. Additional award recipients include Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Stanford Hospital and Clinics (Marc & Laura Andreessen Emergency Department), Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, St. John Hospital and Medical Center Emergency Department (Detroit, Michigan) and fifteen others.

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.

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Medical Center of Lewisville began as a small community hospital in 1976. Today, as a 202-bed full-service facility, we continue to be a leader and excel in providing high quality, compassionate, family-centered healthcare to our community.