Naples, Fla. – July 27, 2026 – Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH) announced today that its Baker Hospital Emergency Department and Bonita Emergency Department have each received the prestigious 2026 Lantern Award from the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), recognizing exceptional performance and innovation in emergency nursing and patient care. NCH’s Emergency Departments are two of only 18 in the state to hold this designation.
The Lantern Award recognizes emergency departments that demonstrate outstanding achievement in leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research. The national recognition also reflects an emergency department’s commitment to quality, safety, a healthy work environment and innovation in nursing practice and emergency care.
Both NCH emergency departments completed a rigorous application and review process demonstrating their performance across the award’s core areas. According to ENA, 126 emergency departments across the nation exceeded the criteria for Lantern Award designation in 2026.
“Receiving the Lantern Award at both our Baker and Bonita emergency departments is an extraordinary recognition of the nurses and team members who provide exceptional care to our patients every day,” said Caitlin George, RN, Administrative Director of Emergency Services at NCH. “Emergency care requires clinical excellence, teamwork and the ability to respond to our community at some of its most critical moments. This recognition reflects the dedication of our entire emergency services team and our continued commitment to delivering safe, innovative and compassionate care throughout Southwest Florida.”
The Lantern Award designation showcases emergency departments whose accomplishments serve as models for excellence in emergency care and recognizes the important role nurses play in advancing quality and patient outcomes.
“This national recognition reflects the extraordinary commitment our nurses bring to their profession and to every patient who comes through our doors,” said Gina Teegarden, RN, Chief Nursing Executive at NCH. “Earning the Lantern Award at two NCH emergency departments demonstrates the strength of our nursing culture and our teams’ relentless focus on quality, safety and clinical excellence. We are incredibly proud of our emergency nurses and the difference they make for patients and families.”
The Lantern Award adds to a growing list of national recognitions for NCH Emergency Services. In 2025, the NCH Baker Emergency Department earned Level II Silver Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians, making it one of only three emergency departments in Florida to hold the distinction, while Baker Hospital also earned Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology.
Most recently, the Pediatric Emergency Department at NCH North Hospital achieved a 99 out of 100 score on the 2026 National Pediatric Readiness Project assessment, significantly exceeding national benchmarks for pediatric emergency preparedness.
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