RESTON, VA — Reston Hospital Center's emergency department has received the 2026 Lantern Award from the Emergency Nurses Association, a national recognition honoring emergency departments for excellence in leadership, patient care, education, advocacy and research.
The Reston hospital was one of 126 emergency departments nationwide to earn the designation this year and one of only three in Virginia, according to the Emergency Nurses Association. The other two are Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU Emergency Department in Richmond and the Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Emergency Department in Fairfax.
The Lantern Award recognizes emergency departments that demonstrate high performance across a range of clinical and operational measures. Applicants are evaluated on areas including patient wait times, treatment for time-sensitive emergencies such as stroke, nurse retention, professional development and quality improvement initiatives.
Laura-Anne Cleveland, chief nursing officer at Reston Hospital Center, said the award reflects the department's commitment to teamwork and patient care.
"This is a highly selective, special award for our emergency department that highlights the confidence, clinical expertise, teamwork, collaboration, process improvement and competency this team has achieved and how these skills benefit our patients and the community," Cleveland said.
According to hospital officials, the emergency department has recently emphasized operational improvements aimed at enhancing the patient experience. Those efforts include a team-triage model designed to reduce wait times by moving patients more quickly into treatment rooms, as well as safety and security initiatives developed in partnership with Fairfax County agencies.
Chris Roberts, director of emergency services at Reston Hospital Center, said the recognition reflects the work of the department's entire care team.
"We are particularly proud of the involvement of our entire team of our nurses, physicians, advanced practice providers, technicians, paramedics, and leadership team that reflects our commitment to quality, safety and compassionate care," Roberts said.
Emergency Nurses Association President Dustin Bass said the award recognizes the work of emergency department teams rather than individual clinicians or entire hospitals.
"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," Bass said. "Reston Hospital is one of 126 emergency departments to achieve a Lantern Award this year."
Reston Hospital Center is a 243-bed acute-care medical and surgical hospital that is part of HCA Virginia Health System. The hospital includes a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a Level II Trauma Center and a robotic surgery program serving the region.
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