August 13, 2026 – Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has been named a recipient of the 2026 Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) Lantern Award, one of the nation’s highest distinctions recognizing emergency departments that exemplify excellence in leadership, clinical practice, education, advocacy and research.
Presented by the Emergency Nurses Association, the Lantern Award recognizes emergency departments that demonstrate exceptional and innovative performance while fostering a culture of quality, safety and continuous improvement. This year’s designation places Nicklaus Children’s among an elite group of emergency departments nationwide recognized for delivering outstanding patient care while supporting excellence in emergency nursing.
Home to one of South Florida’s busiest and most advanced pediatric emergency departments, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital provides around-the-clock, specialized emergency care exclusively for children.
“The ENA Lantern Award is a tremendous honor that reflects the extraordinary dedication of our emergency department team and the culture of excellence they have built together,” said Matthew A. Love, president and CEO of Nicklaus Children’s Health System. “Every day, our physicians, nurses and clinical teams provide compassionate, highly specialized care during some of the most difficult moments in a family’s life. This national recognition highlights our commitment to advancing pediatric emergency medicine while ensuring every child receives the safest, highest-quality care possible.”
To achieve Lantern Award designation, emergency departments undergo a rigorous evaluation demonstrating excellence across five domains: leadership, practice, education, advocacy and research. Applicants must provide measurable outcomes and evidence of sustained performance improvement, innovative clinical practices and a healthy work environment that empowers nurses to deliver exceptional patient care.
“It is an honor to be recognized with the Lantern Award which serves as a national symbol of excellence in emergency nursing,” said Lisbeth Mosquera, director of emergency services at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. “This distinction reinforces our leadership in pediatric emergency care and our mission to deliver world-class healthcare for our children across South Florida and beyond.”
“Our emergency nurses continually raise the standard for pediatric emergency care through clinical expertise, collaboration and an unwavering commitment to our patients and families,” said Peter Cruz, executive director of emergency services at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. “Receiving the Lantern Award reflects years of intentional work to cultivate a highly engaged team, invest in professional development and implement evidence-based practices that improve quality, safety and the overall experience for every child who comes through our doors.”
About Nicklaus Children’s Health System – Where Your Child Matters Most ™
For more than 75 years, Nicklaus Children’s Health System has stood as a beacon of hope for children and families across the state of Florida and beyond. Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children. Nicklaus Children’s provides pediatric care across a growing network of hospital and community-based partnerships, including within NCH North Hospital in Naples, Jupiter Medical Center, select Baptist Health Hospital pediatric emergency units, as well as at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Fort Lauderdale and Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Coral Springs, each located on the campuses of Broward Health. The hospitals and their network of more than 35 outpatient locations offer lifesaving care in Miami-Dade, Broward, Martin and Palm Beach counties. Outpatient locations include an array of urgent, pediatric primary and specialty care centers and are either hospital-based or outpatient locations under Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists, LLC (NCPS). Providing a pipeline of future physicians and groundbreaking research, Nicklaus Children’s is an academic and clinical affiliate of the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and home to centers of excellence including the Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Orthopedic, Sports Medicine and Spine Institute, the Neuroscience Institute and the Heart Institute. The 474-bed system is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, with many programs routinely ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children’s also includes a nonprofit physician practice subsidiary with more than 40 pediatric specialties and an ambulatory surgery center. For more information, visit nicklauschildrens.org.
