Mount Sinai’s emergency nurses are honored

The Emergency Nurses Association has awarded the prestigious 2024 Lantern Award to Mount Sinai South Nassau’s Emergency Department.

The department staff received the award for reducing wait times and for demonstrating commitment to exceptional and innovative leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research.

The award is named in honor of Florence Nightingale, a trailblazing nurse and the founder of modern nursing, who was known by the nickname “Lady with the Lamp.”

MSSN’s Fennessy Family Emergency Department, along with emergency departments at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West, are three of only 94 emergency departments across the United States that met the Lantern Award criteria this year, according to the hospital.

Colleen Schaefer, quality operations coordinator for South Nassau’s Emergency Department, submitted the application and the necessary data.

“This was brought forward by our former director, Christina Salucci, and another Mount Sinai emergency department received the award last year,” Schaefer said, “so we really pushed and came together as a department to apply for the award this year.”

The Emergency Department nurses found out they had won early last month.

“I think for both leadership and staff, it just signifies how hard we’ve worked together as a department, and we experience growth and change,” Schaefer said. “Our staff is adapting excellent to that, and we’re making sure that we’re growing our team and providing safe patient care for all our patients.”

Dr. Jay Itzkowitz, clinical chair of the department, helped implement a series of innovations that led to improvement in a key measurement of patient satisfaction and performance.

“This is a testament to the ED staff, especially the nurses, for the amazing work they do on a daily basis,” Itzkowitz said. “Talk about the care they provide to all the patients, the patient experience and the patients who want to come here. We are providing a service to the community that they want in that area.”

MSSN’s emergency room simultaneously reduced the “left without being seen” patient rate to below 2 percent and handled a significant increase in post-pandemic patient volume.

“It goes without saying how proud I am and excited to be part of this,” Itzkowitz added. “We know the amazing team that we have — it’s just a matter of time till we’re recognized for the amazing work that the nursing team provides.”

The Lantern Award also recognized the ongoing education and training of the nursing staff to provide the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt to societal needs.

Dr. Adhi Sharma, the hospital’s president, who is an emergency physician by background, said he was immensely proud of the ED staff and leadership.

“It’s very rewarding to see it — it’s a good reflection on the culture in the ED and organization,” Sharma said. “This award is a great milestone, but the best is yet to come.”