Emergency Nurses Association Announces 2026 Lantern Awards
BELLEVILLE, NJ, (August 6, 2026) – Clara Maass Medical Center’s (CMMC)emergency department has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious 2026 ENA Lantern Award, which recognizes exceptional innovation and evidence-based practice improvements that resulted in improved patient care and staff well-being. This designation is held by recipients three years.
"At RWJBarnabas Health, we are committed to world-class patient care across every community we serve, and this recognition reflects that commitment," said Nancy Holecek, Executive Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for RWJBarnabas Health. "The Clara Maass Medical Center emergency department team has demonstrated an unwavering dedication to innovation, collaboration, and exceptional patient care. Having Lantern Award designated emergency departments within our health system underscores the extraordinary work of our nurses and caregivers and reinforces our mission to creating and sustaining healthier communities."
Clara Maass Medical Center joins two other RWJBarnabas Health hospitals holding the distinguished Lantern Award designation including Monmouth Medical Center and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus, both earning the recognition in 2025.
"This recognition is a tremendous honor for our emergency department and for the entire Clara Maass Medical Center community," said Teresa Di Elmo, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Chief Nursing Officer, Vice President for Patient Care Services at CMMC. "Every day, our emergency department team delivers compassionate, expert care to patients during some of the most critical moments of their lives. Earning the Lantern Award is a testament to their clinical expertise, teamwork, and unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of the communities we proudly serve."
The ENA Lantern Award application evaluates emergency departments on innovative practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, quality outcomes, nursing leadership, staff engagement, and commitment to fostering a healthy work environment. The designation serves as a national symbol of excellence in emergency nursing and recognizes organizations that consistently deliver outstanding care while supporting the professional growth and well-being of their teams.
"The Lantern Award recognizes more than clinical excellence, it reflects the teamwork, innovation and commitment that define our emergency department every day," said Donna DeVita, DNP, RN, Assistant Vice President, Emergency and Critical Care Services at CMMC. "Our nurses and interdisciplinary care teams continually challenge themselves to improve processes, strengthen collaboration, and provide the best care for every patient who walks through our doors."
CMMC is among 126 recipients that will be recognized in upcoming ENA publications, on the ENA website and during Emergency Nursing 2026, the association’s annual conference in Phoenix, Sept. 28-Oct. 1.
“The Lantern recognizes something incredibly special. It isn’t an award for an individual or an entire hospital—it’s a recognition earned by an emergency department and the team that powers it every day,” said ENA President Dustin Bass, DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, NEA-BC. “Clara Maass Medical Center is one of 126 emergency departments to achieve a Lantern Award this year.”
For more information on this year’s Lantern Award recipients, visit the Emergency Nurses Association website.
About Clara Maass Medical Center
Founded in 1869 as the Newark German Hospital, Clara Maass Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is celebrating 150 years of service to the community. Conveniently located in Belleville, NJ, Clara Maass Medical Center is a 472-bed hospital that offers a complete continuum of care to residents of northern New Jersey.
Clara Maass Medical Center has completed a state-of-the-art campus expansion of its Emergency Department, Operating Rooms and Post Anesthesia Care Unit with the addition of a four-story, 87,000 square foot medical office building that features a private Intensive Care Unit, main entrance and lobby, retail pharmacy and patient registration area. Designated by the New Jersey Department of Health as a Primary Stroke Center, the Medical Center has earned national recognition in patient safety and quality from Healthgrades and The Leapfrog Group.
The Medical Center leads the state in performing advanced treatment in ophthalmology, has earned certifications in Disease-Specific Care from The Joint Commission in Acute Coronary Syndrome, Congestive Heart Failure, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Elective Joint Hip Replacement, Elective Joint Knee Replacement, Advanced Certification in Palliative Care, and Primary Stroke, and is designated as a
Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Aetna Institute and Clinical Sciences Institute of Optum. In partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey -- the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Clara Maass Medical Center offers a world-class team of researchers and specialists to fight most types of cancer, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Committed to the health and wellness of its community, the Center of Excellence for Latino Health at Clara Maass Medical Center was established to address the social determinants of health within the local Hispanic community.
The first in the country to be named for a nurse, the hospitals’ namesake, Clara Louise Maass was posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame Class of 2017.
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 40,000 members worldwide, ENA advocates for patient safety, develops industry-leading practice standards and guidelines, and guides emergency health care 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.
Contact: Cristina Allen
Cristina.Allen@rwjbh.org