MedStar Health Achieves 2025 Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center

MedStar Franklin Square is the only Maryland hospital to achieve prestigious recognition.

BALTIMORE – MedStar Health has been awarded the 2025 Lantern Award from the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), a national honor recognizing MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center for its exemplary emergency nursing.

Fewer than 100 emergency departments around the country met the criteria for the award, which spotlights exceptional emergency nursing practice, education, and advocacy to improve patient outcomes.

The recognition honors MedStar Franklin Square’s emergency department (ED) for its leadership in advancing stroke care across the region. Over the past four years, MedStar Franklin Square’s emergency department has developed a dedicated stroke response unit (SRU) to deliver timely, high-quality stroke care to a rapidly growing population of patients experiencing acute stroke symptoms.

“With one of the highest patient volumes in the state, it became clear that we needed a more standardized, efficient approach to stroke care,” said Kimberly Schwenk, MSN, RN, vice president and chief nursing officer at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center.

Working in close partnership with neurology and neurointerventional radiology, ED nurses and physicians created and implemented protocols to streamline stroke triage, diagnosis, and treatment, transforming stroke care delivery in the community.

“The Lantern Award underscores an amazing, unwavering commitment of our nurses to rise to the needs of patients and deliver transformative care at the most critical time,” Schwenk added. “It reflects not only the clinical excellence of our emergency department nurses but also their deep dedication to quality care, safety, and serving our community with compassion, skill, and purpose.”

The SRU features nine dedicated treatment rooms strategically located between the emergency medical services (EMS) entrance and imaging suites. Staffed around the clock by ED nurses specially trained in acute neurologic care, and with support from a neuro critical care charge nurse, the unit receives nearly 200 stroke alerts each month. Many are activated by EMS from across multiple counties. As a designated comprehensive stroke center, MedStar Franklin Square serves a large regional footprint, receiving both EMS transports and inter-hospital transfers for patients with suspected large vessel occlusions.

“Our model relies on the expertise of triage nurses to identify subtle neurologic deficits in patients who do not arrive by ambulance,” said Dr. Michael Yacovelli, vice chair of emergency medicine. “Through targeted education and collaboration with emergency medicine and neurology physicians, our nurses have honed their assessment skills to ensure rapid, accurate identification of stroke symptoms while preserving ED resources.”

These frontline nurses are empowered to initiate and when appropriate, deactivate stroke alerts. Approximately 25 EMS stroke alerts per month are safely deactivated after initial triage evaluation. When a stroke alert is confirmed, the team swiftly performs National Institute of Health stroke scale assessments, initiates IVs and labs, and delivers the patient to CT imaging, typically within 15 minutes of arrival. Patients who meet clinical criteria often receive thrombolytics in under 30 minutes, a standard achieved consistently through precision teamwork.

“The Lantern Award is a testament to the remarkable teamwork, compassion, and clinical excellence that define our emergency department,” said Nicole Noga, BSN, RN, director of patient care services in the ED. “We are especially proud of the stroke response unit, a unique and effective model of collaboration and precision that’s saving lives every day.”

Two emergency nurses staff the SRU at all times, balancing the care of new and active stroke patients while closely coordinating with ED physicians and technicians. The unit’s success is rooted in ongoing interdisciplinary education, process improvement, and a shared culture of mutual respect.

“This work is a shining example of what’s possible when we prioritize teamwork and continuous learning,” said Teri Muns, MD, emergency department chair. “Our stroke unit has elevated care for the entire region and serves as a blueprint for innovation in emergency medicine.”

MedStar Franklin Square’s Lantern Award will be prominently displayed in the emergency department. The team will also be recognized in upcoming ENA publications, on the ENA website, and at Emergency Nursing 2025, ENA’s annual conference to be held Sept. 17–20 in New Orleans.

For more information about the Lantern Award and this year’s recipients, visit the Emergency Nurses Association website.