Hackettstown and Newton Medical Centers’ emergency departments receive recognition for Excellence in Emergency Nursing
NORTHWEST, N.J. – The Emergency Departments at Hackettstown Medical Center and Newton Medical Center have been selected to receive the Emergency Nurses Association’s 2025 Lantern Award® for demonstrating outstanding leadership, practice, education, advocacy and innovation in emergency care. This is the first Lantern Award for Hackettstown Medical Center and Newton Medical Center.
“The Emergency Department teams at Hackettstown Medical Center and Newton Medical Center always aim to provide the highest quality patient care, demonstrating compassion and clinical excellence,” said Bethany Lichtenwalner, RN, Interim Chief Nursing Officer, Hackettstown and Newton Medical Centers. “I congratulate our incredible physicians, nurses and other team members for all of the work that has led to receiving this Lantern Award, as it truly serves as a testament to their exceptional dedication and impact.”
Hackettstown and Newton’s Emergency Departments are two of 96 EDs nationwide recognized by the ENA in 2025. The Lantern Award recognizes the Emergency Services at Hackettstown and Newton for exceptional work, commitment to quality, and consistently demonstrated patient-centered care. This award considers a variety of quantitative factors that focus on performance, as well as qualitative examples of noteworthy practices and attributes of an Emergency Department. The award serves as a visible symbol of Hackettstown and Newton’s commitment to quality, safety and a healthy work environment.
“We are incredibly proud of the Emergency Departments at Hackettstown Medical Center and Newton Medical Center for earning their first Lantern award,” said Bob Adams, President, Newton Medical Center and Hackettstown Medical Center and Senior Vice President, Atlantic Health System. “This outstanding recognition affirms that the services we provide to our community every single day meet the highest standards of emergency care, and we are truly honored to receive it.”
Every medical center within Atlantic Health System now holds this honorable recognition, with Morristown Medical Center, Overlook Medical Center, CentraState Medical Center, and Chilton Medical Center all being Lantern Award recipients as well. The award lasts for a three-year cycle, after which Emergency Departments are eligible to apply again.
“Nurses are the backbone of care across Atlantic Health System. In our Emergency Departments, they consistently provide expert clinical care while also offering so much nurturing support for each and every patient,” said Trish O’Keefe, PhD, RN, Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive, Atlantic Health System, and President, Morristown Medical Center. “Their incredible commitment to excellence helps make this systemwide accomplishment possible, and we are deeply grateful for the exceptional emergency services they provide.”
Hackettstown and Newton Medical Centers’ Lantern Awards will be on display in their Emergency Departments. As Lantern Award recipients, Hackettstown Medical Center and Newton Medical Center’s Emergency Services will be recognized in upcoming ENA publications, on the ENA website and during Emergency Nursing 2025, the association’s annual conference in New Orleans, Sept. 17-20. For more information on this year’s Lantern Award recipients, visit the Emergency Nurses Association website.
