Northwestern Memorial Hospital has been recognized as the only hospital in Illinois to receive the 2025 Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Lantern Award. Leaders from the ENA visited the hospital's Emergency Department during Emergency Nurses Week to acknowledge the nursing staff for their work and to present the award.
The ENA Lantern Award is given to emergency departments that show outstanding performance in leadership, practice, education, advocacy, and research. The award highlights hospitals that use evidence-based practices and innovation in emergency care.
Maureen Slade, vice president of operations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, stated, “We appreciate ENA taking the time to recognize our emergency department staff who work tirelessly to provide the highest level of patient care. 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 improve stroke care, Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department worked with Neurology, Radiology, and Clinical Quality teams on a project aimed at delivering IV Tenecteplase—a medication used for treating strokes—within 30 minutes of arrival for eligible patients. The team streamlined workflows and improved coordination between departments. As a result, over nine months they increased by 62% the number of patients receiving IV thrombolytics.
In one example from summer 2024, a 35-year-old patient arrived with stroke symptoms. The emergency nurses quickly coordinated with other departments and administered IV Tenecteplase within 16 minutes of arrival—a new record for the department. The patient was discharged three days later without neurological deficits.
“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,” said Kristin Ramey, MSN, RN, chief nursing officer and senior vice president of quality at Northwestern Memorial HealthCare.
The Lantern Award is named after Florence Nightingale—the “Lady of the Lamp”—who is known for transforming nursing into a skilled profession during her service in the Crimean War.
"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.
For further information about Northwestern Memorial Hospital’s programs or awards visit www.nm.org.
