Dayton Children’s earns Lantern Award for world-class emergency care

Dayton Children’s Soin Pediatric Emergency Department is the only one in the region, and one of 94 nationwide, to receive the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Lantern Award for 2024. This marks the first time Dayton Children’s has received the award, recognizing our nursing excellence in evidence-based practice and innovation.

“The Lantern Award reaffirms that parents can rest easy knowing that Dayton Children’s provides world-class emergency care right here in their own backyard,” said Jayne Gmeiner, vice president and chief nursing officer. “Our personal touch, combined with exceptional skill, ensures that our region’s children receive top-notch care without having to leave Dayton.”

Established in 2011, the ENA Lantern Award honors exceptional leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research in emergency departments across the United States. Award applicants undergo rigorous evaluation on performance metrics, outcomes measures and evidence-based practices.

“The Lantern Award reinforces our commitment to strive for the best emergency care possible for our patients through innovative processes and programs,” said Thomas Krzmarzick, MD, chief, division of emergency medicine. “It shows that quality care and innovation exist in Dayton and not just in the “big” pediatric institutions."
 

Our emergency department stands out due to its:

• Achievement as the region’s only Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center: Providing the highest level of care for critically injured children.
• Comprehensive care across two sites: Serving around 100,000 sick and injured kids per year.
• High patient satisfaction: Ranking in the 82nd percentile nationally for patient experience net promoter score.
• Specialized care from trauma-credentialed, pediatric emergency physicians: Ensuring expert treatment tailored to the unique needs of each child.
• Dedicated staff wellbeing initiatives: Providing peer support programs, zen dens, a comprehensive wellbeing program and a designated staff support clinician to ensure our team can deliver the best care for your children.
• Exemplary national benchmarks: Meeting or exceeding benchmarks for blood culture contamination rates, expedited administration of steroids for asthma patients and left without being seen rates, among others.

“Our staff are highly educated and trained, ready to handle anything that comes through the door. They genuinely care about the kids, treating them as their own,” said Tami Wiggins, MSA, RN, NEA-BC, senior director of emergency services. “This award validates that our outstanding clinical outcomes are matched by our exceptional patient experience.”

Dayton Children’s will be recognized this fall during the ENA’s annual conference. See the complete list of Lantern Award winners here.

“For all that matters to our patients and families, Dayton Children’s is here, delivering the highest quality of care,” said Jayne.