Grand Strand Medical Center's emergency department recognized for excellence

Myrtle Beach, S.C. — Grand Strand Medical Center’s emergency department has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Emergency Nurses Association Lantern Award, which recognizes leadership, practice, education and advocacy that resulted in improved patient care and staff well-being.

Grand Strand Medical Center is the only hospital in Horry County and one of only five hospitals in the state to receive this prestigious honor.

“These recipients demonstrate excellence in practice, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovation that make their departments exceptional places for patients receiving care as well as for the staff working in them,” said ENA President Ryan Oglesby, PhD, MHA, RN, CEN, CFRN, NEA-BC. Fewer than 100 emergency departments were selected this year.

“Receiving the 2025 Lantern Award is a tremendous honor and a reflection of the extraordinary work happening in our Emergency Department every day,” said Mark Sims, Grand Strand Medical Center’s chief executive officer. “I’m incredibly proud of our team for their commitment to innovation, excellence, and compassionate care. This recognition reinforces what we already know — our community is in the best hands when it matters most.”

In 2023, Grand Strand Medical Center’s emergency department implemented a new care model designed to enhance patient care and operational efficiency. The model emphasized direct bedding, cohort-based placement, team triage and private spaces for evaluations, which resulted in faster arrival-to-bed times, fewer walkouts and shorter lengths of stay.

Frontline nurses played a key role in the model’s success, using their insights to drive innovation, improve communication and enhance departmental culture. Their leadership and real-time problem-solving continue to elevate patient care, nursing satisfaction and staff engagement, thus demonstrating how collaboration and frontline empowerment can transform emergency care.

As a recipient, Grand Strand Medical Center 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.