NEWS
The Pediatric Emergency Department at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital Recognized with Prestigious Lantern Award for Emergency Care
July 15, 2022
Saint Peter’s is the Only Pediatric Emergency Department in New Jersey to Receive This Honor
New Brunswick, N.J. – July 15, 2022 – The Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department at The Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital has earned the prestigious Lantern Award from the national Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). When it comes to health care, children have specialized needs that require a different approach than their adult counterparts, requiring differently sized equipment and a range of expertise. In addition, children’s hospitals are specifically designed to take care of the child through a family-centered approach to medicine, serving kids at each stage of growth and development.
“The Pediatric Emergency Department at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital is the only pediatric emergency department in New Jersey to receive the prestigious Lantern Award,” said Pam Harmon, DNP, MSN, RNC-NIC, nursing director of Saint Peter’s Women and Children’s Division.
“Earning the Lantern Award shows that The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s has met the highest standards for pediatric emergency care. Our nurses strive to provide the highest level of patient care and service excellence every day.”
The Lantern Award is the only award dedicated to showcasing emergency departments for their outstanding work. Consideration for the award required Saint Peter’s Pediatric Emergency Department to share stories highlighting its commitment to care, and the initiatives established to improve the well-being of nursing staff. The award serves as a visible symbol of Saint Peter’s commitment to quality, safety and a healthy work environment. Saint Peter’s was among 29 hospitals nationwide to be recognized with this prestigious award.
“These emergency departments are doing so many remarkable improvements and initiatives and they deserve to be honored for their work,” said ENA President Jenn Schmitz, MSN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, CNML, FNP-C, NE-BC. “I look forward to meeting some of these emergency nurses at our upcoming conference in Denver and celebrating them for their incredible achievement.”
There are many noteworthy accomplishments that led to the recognition including improved collaboration between nurses and physicians; efforts to develop new flows and responsibilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; executing a simulation program to help emergency nurses better prepare for pediatric patients; and undertaking a significant quality improvement project to create a more age-friendly emergency department.
“It is an honor for Saint Peter’s Pediatric Emergency Department to be recognized for the care we deliver, especially since a trip to the emergency room can be scary for both children and their families,” said Todd Mastrovitch, MD, director of the Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s. “Our staff strives to provide a safe and comfortable environment for each patient while also providing the highest quality of care.”
The ENA Lantern Award showcases an emergency department’s accomplishments in incorporating evidence-based practice and innovation into emergency care. As a recipient, The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital will be recognized in upcoming issues of ENA’s all-member magazine ENA Connection, on the ENA website and social media, and during Emergency Nursing 2022 in Denver, Colorado, Sept. 30 – Oct. 3, the association’s annual conference. For more information on this year’s Lantern Award recipients, visit the Emergency Nurses Association website.
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About The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital
The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital is a state-designated acute care facility and Regional Perinatal Center. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally renowned Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department, adolescent medicine, cancer care, diabetes, orthopedics, surgery, developmental pediatrics, gastroenterology, allergy and immunology, infectious disease medicine, cardiology, nephrology, neurology, pediatric intensive care, pulmonary/sleep medicine, audiology and physical therapy. Other programs and services include Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, which counsels, tests and treats children with rare diseases; the Craniofacial and Neurosurgical Center, which offers corrective surgery and multidisciplinary support for children born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities; the Dorothy B. Hersh Regional Child Protection Center, a state-designated regional Diagnostic and Treatment Center for child abuse prevention; and the Center for Diabetes Self-Management and Education, which diagnoses and treats children with diabetes and other endocrine disorders. Saint Peter’s Children’s Hospital has received Perinatal Certification from the Joint Commission and the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Saint Peter’s University Hospital has been redesignated as a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center of the American Nurses Association for 2020-2024, making Saint Peter’s one of only five hospitals worldwide to receive this designation for six consecutive terms. The Children’s Hospital is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732-745-8600.
About the Emergency Nurses Association
The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency healthcare public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.
New Brunswick, N.J. – July 15, 2022 – The Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department at The Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital has earned the prestigious Lantern Award from the national Emergency Nurses Association (ENA). When it comes to health care, children have specialized needs that require a different approach than their adult counterparts, requiring differently sized equipment and a range of expertise. In addition, children’s hospitals are specifically designed to take care of the child through a family-centered approach to medicine, serving kids at each stage of growth and development.
“The Pediatric Emergency Department at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital is the only pediatric emergency department in New Jersey to receive the prestigious Lantern Award,” said Pam Harmon, DNP, MSN, RNC-NIC, nursing director of Saint Peter’s Women and Children’s Division.
“Earning the Lantern Award shows that The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s has met the highest standards for pediatric emergency care. Our nurses strive to provide the highest level of patient care and service excellence every day.”
The Lantern Award is the only award dedicated to showcasing emergency departments for their outstanding work. Consideration for the award required Saint Peter’s Pediatric Emergency Department to share stories highlighting its commitment to care, and the initiatives established to improve the well-being of nursing staff. The award serves as a visible symbol of Saint Peter’s commitment to quality, safety and a healthy work environment. Saint Peter’s was among 29 hospitals nationwide to be recognized with this prestigious award.
“These emergency departments are doing so many remarkable improvements and initiatives and they deserve to be honored for their work,” said ENA President Jenn Schmitz, MSN, EMT-P, CEN, CPEN, CNML, FNP-C, NE-BC. “I look forward to meeting some of these emergency nurses at our upcoming conference in Denver and celebrating them for their incredible achievement.”
There are many noteworthy accomplishments that led to the recognition including improved collaboration between nurses and physicians; efforts to develop new flows and responsibilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; executing a simulation program to help emergency nurses better prepare for pediatric patients; and undertaking a significant quality improvement project to create a more age-friendly emergency department.
“It is an honor for Saint Peter’s Pediatric Emergency Department to be recognized for the care we deliver, especially since a trip to the emergency room can be scary for both children and their families,” said Todd Mastrovitch, MD, director of the Dorothy B. Hersh Pediatric Emergency Department at The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s. “Our staff strives to provide a safe and comfortable environment for each patient while also providing the highest quality of care.”
The ENA Lantern Award showcases an emergency department’s accomplishments in incorporating evidence-based practice and innovation into emergency care. As a recipient, The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital will be recognized in upcoming issues of ENA’s all-member magazine ENA Connection, on the ENA website and social media, and during Emergency Nursing 2022 in Denver, Colorado, Sept. 30 – Oct. 3, the association’s annual conference. For more information on this year’s Lantern Award recipients, visit the Emergency Nurses Association website.
###
About The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital
The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s University Hospital is a state-designated acute care facility and Regional Perinatal Center. The Children’s Hospital at Saint Peter’s provides families with access to a full range of pediatric specialties, including a nationally renowned Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a dedicated Pediatric Emergency Department, adolescent medicine, cancer care, diabetes, orthopedics, surgery, developmental pediatrics, gastroenterology, allergy and immunology, infectious disease medicine, cardiology, nephrology, neurology, pediatric intensive care, pulmonary/sleep medicine, audiology and physical therapy. Other programs and services include Medical Genetics and Genomic Medicine, which counsels, tests and treats children with rare diseases; the Craniofacial and Neurosurgical Center, which offers corrective surgery and multidisciplinary support for children born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities; the Dorothy B. Hersh Regional Child Protection Center, a state-designated regional Diagnostic and Treatment Center for child abuse prevention; and the Center for Diabetes Self-Management and Education, which diagnoses and treats children with diabetes and other endocrine disorders. Saint Peter’s Children’s Hospital has received Perinatal Certification from the Joint Commission and the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses for its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Saint Peter’s University Hospital has been redesignated as a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center of the American Nurses Association for 2020-2024, making Saint Peter’s one of only five hospitals worldwide to receive this designation for six consecutive terms. The Children’s Hospital is sponsored by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. Visit saintpetershcs.com or call 732-745-8600.
About the Emergency Nurses Association
The Emergency Nurses Association is the premier professional nursing association dedicated to defining the future of emergency nursing through advocacy, education, research, innovation, and leadership. Founded in 1970, ENA has proven to be an indispensable resource to the global emergency nursing community. With more than 50,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency healthcare public policy. ENA members have expertise in triage, patient care, disaster preparedness, and all aspects of emergency care. Additional information is available at www.ena.org.