Norwalk, Connecticut Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of Norwalk Hospital’s inpatient pediatric unit, the Norwalk Hospital Emergency Department led a strategic initiative to restore community confidence and bring pediatric patients back to the hospital. A dedicated pediatric emergency center

Brick, New Jersey Demonstrating creativity and resilience in managing more than 64,000 visits in 2025, Ocean Medical Center’s Emergency Department enhanced its care for the community by implementing a front-end treatment area. This innovative space features 12 vertical beds, which allow

Jacksonville, North Carolina The 39-bed Onslow Memorial Hospital Emergency Department, part of UNC Health, implemented a “No Detours to Care” initiative to improve patient flow and reduce delays in treatment. This model prioritizes immediate placement into care areas, rapid provider evaluation

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital Emergency Department focused on improving the patients’ experience while they were receiving care in the ED. The team created the triage coordinator, an operational role for nurses that focuses on positively impacting patient flow

Athens, Georgia The Piedmont Athens Regional Emergency Department focused on EMS triage during surge periods with a nurse‑led, standardized process to return EMS crews back into service quickly. Doing so allows the charge nurse to continue moving patients from the waiting

Pomona, California The Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center ED implemented a nurse-led, physician-partnered sepsis recognition and response program to improve sepsis bundle compliance. Through shared governance, bedside nurses helped design and implement a standardized sepsis screening tool, a two-tier Gold Alert

Greenville, South Carolina The emergency department at Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital implemented a number of measures to further prevent workplace violence. Equipment and systems include Humane Shield, bite gloves placed for quick access, and alerts to hospital law enforcement when

Reston, Virginia In 2025–2026, the Reston Hospital Center Emergency Department prioritized optimization of the discharge patient pathway through a series of staff-led performance improvement initiatives. Enhancements in triage processes, direct-to-bed placement, reduced provider greet times and more efficient disposition and physical

Waterbury, Connecticut Patient feedback identified ED wait times as a major opportunity for improvement and a key driver of satisfaction at the Saint Mary’s Hospital Emergency Department. To address this, the ED team implemented a Rapid Medical Evaluation model, partnering a

Santa Barbara, California What began as Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital’s ED nurses pursuing ultrasound-guided IV training evolved into an innovative, hospital-wide Vascular Access Team that transformed patient care and nursing practice. Led by ED nursing leadership, the program expanded from difficult