Cheyenne Regional Medical Center Emergency Department Earns National ENA Lantern Award® for Excellence

Cheyenne Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Department has earned the 2026 Lantern Award® from the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), one of the nation’s highest honors recognizing excellence in emergency care. The award recognizes emergency departments that demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation and evidence-based practices that improve patient care and staff well-being.

Cheyenne Regional is one of just 126 emergency departments nationwide to receive the 2026 Lantern Award. Recipients 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 to Oct. 1.

“This recognition reflects the dedication, compassion and professionalism of every member of our Emergency Department,” said Tim Thornell, president and CEO of Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. “Our team is committed to learning, improving and working together to provide exceptional care when our community needs us most. Receiving the Lantern Award is an honor because it recognizes that commitment.”

The Lantern Award recognizes emergency departments that excel across leadership, clinical practice, education, advocacy, research, quality outcomes and workplace culture. CRMC earned the recognition through its commitment to evidence-based care, professional development and an environment where every member of the team contributes to better patient outcomes.

The award reflects the work of the entire Emergency Department, including nurses, physicians, advanced practice providers, technicians, registrars, environmental services staff, leaders and support personnel. For patients, the recognition means they are receiving care from a nationally recognized team dedicated to patient safety, evidence-based care and excellence in emergency medicine.

“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. “Cheyenne Regional Medical Center is one of 126 emergency departments to achieve a Lantern Award this year.”

About CRMC

Cheyenne Regional Medical Center has served southeast Wyoming for more than 150 years, beginning as a frontier tent hospital in 1867. Today, CRMC is a nonprofit regional health system serving southeast Wyoming, northern Colorado and western Nebraska with comprehensive inpatient, outpatient and specialty care. Guided by its mission to inspire great health, CRMC combines compassion, experience and innovation to improve the health and well-being of the communities it serves. Learn more at cheyenneregional.org.

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.