Washington Regional Emergency Department First in State to Earn Lantern Award
Washington Regional’s emergency department is the first in Arkansas to earn the Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award® and one of only 53 in the world this year to receive the prestigious distinction, which recognizes emergency departments that exemplify exceptional and innovative leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.
As the region’s only level II trauma center, Washington Regional provides the area’s highest level of trauma care, and its 37-bed emergency department cares for nearly 55,000 patients each year from across Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding areas.
“The Washington Regional emergency department team is honored to receive this award,” said Emergency Department Director Danita Mullins, RN. “This achievement shows our team members’ dedication to their patients and to fulfilling Washington Regional’s vision of being the best place for our patients to receive care and the best place for our staff to provide that care.”
“Receiving a Lantern Award is a truly remarkable achievement and highlights the dedication and clinical expertise of our emergency department team members,” said Washington Regional Chief Operating Officer Birch Wright. “Previous Lantern Award recipients include the Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins, UCLA Medical Center and Cedars Sinai Medical Center. This distinction shows that Washington Regional’s emergency department is taking the same innovative approach to delivering high quality care that you would see at many of the country’s top ranked health care systems.”
Lantern Award recipients must demonstrate a commitment to quality and safety and a healthy work environment. A primary goal in the Washington Regional emergency department over the last year was to increase nursing satisfaction rates which resulted in a significant decrease in turnover among registered nurses. Additional goals focused on continuous improvement of quality measures to enhance patient safety and care.
