Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland is the first Colorado hospital to receive the new Lantern Award for exemplary emergency departments.

The Emergency Nurses Association recently announced that MCR’s emergency department is one of 20 emergency departments across the nation that will receive the award for exhibiting excellence in emergency care as well as exceptional and innovative performance in leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.
 
“Emergency departments are the safety net for millions of patients every year. They see patients when they are most in need of help,” said AnnMarie Papa, president of the Emergency Nurses Association, a 37,000-member organization headquartered in Des Plaines, Ill. “The Lantern Award was designed to recognize those departments whose commitment to excellence truly exceeds normal practice.”

Kay Miller, MCR’s chief nursing officer, said the award represents the best in emergency care. “This award recognizes how committed our nurses, staff and support staff are to providing world-class health care every day at MCR,” she said.

The Lantern Award was named for Florence Nightingale’s lantern, which has become a symbol of health care innovation and dedication to quality and respect.

The award will be presented in September at the Emergency Nurses Association annual conference in Tampa, Fla.

To learn more about the Emergency Nurses Association and the 20 award recipients: ena.org.

MCR EMERGENCY CARE – BY THE NUMBERS
20,632 – Patient visits to the emergency department in 2010
32 – Nurses on staff in the emergency department
22 – Technicians on staff in the emergency department
19 – Beds in the emergency department
2 – Medical helicopter pads at MCR

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