The ENA Lantern Award recognizes emergency departments that demonstrate exceptional and innovative performance in leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research. It is awarded to hospitals that incorporate evidence-based practice and innovation into emergency care. This achievement reflects the power of collaboration, clinical excellence and a shared commitment to improving patient outcomes.
“We appreciate ENA taking the time to recognize our emergency department staff who work tirelessly to provide the highest level of patient care,” said Maureen Slade, vice president of operations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “We are honored to be the only hospital in Illinois to have received the 2025 ENA Lantern Award and are motivated more than ever to continue our Patients First mission.”
To enhance the timeliness and quality of stroke care, Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department partnered with Neurology, Radiology and Clinical Quality on a performance improvement initiative. Their ambitious goal was to administer IV Tenecteplase, a clot-busting medication used to treat strokes, within 30 minutes of arrival for eligible patients.
Recognizing the complexity of stroke care, the team built a streamlined workflow that eliminated bottlenecks and strengthened cross-departmental coordination. Over nine months, their work increased the percentage of patients receiving IV thrombolytics by 62%.
This was put into practice in the summer of 2024, when a 35 year old patient arrived at the emergency department with slurred speech and facial droop after experiencing right foot dragging at work. The emergency nurses quickly identified that the patient would likely be eligible for IV Tenecteplase, so they quickly coordinated with a neurologist and facilitated CT imaging departments. Within 16 minutes of arrival, he received the treatment, setting a department record. He was discharged three days later with no neurological deficits.
The project’s success has earned recognition locally and nationally.
“This award highlights the Northwestern Medicine Emergency Department staff and their dedication to patients first, and it shines the light on their integrity, teamwork and excellence,” says Kristin Ramey, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer and senior vice president, quality at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare.
The ENA Lantern Award is named in honor of Florence Nightingale, who is credited with changing nursing from an untrained job to a skilled, science-based profession. She is referred to as the “Lady of the Lamp” for her actions during the Crimean War when she worked deep into the night, bringing a lantern with her as she tended to wounded British soldiers as they slept.
"These recipients demonstrate excellence in practice, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation that make their departments exceptional places for patients receiving care as well as for the staff working in them," said ENA President Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC.
