Margaret “Marge” Letitia, BSN, RN, an emergency department nurse at Manchester Memorial Hospital, became the first nurse in Connecticut named a fellow of the Academy of Emergency Nursing.

Letitia works per diem at Manchester Memorial Hospital, part of Hartford HealthCare, after a career of more than 50 years spanning emergency nursing practice, trauma care, injury prevention, mentorship and leadership development.

“I am so proud to celebrate this extraordinary achievement,” said Adam C. Steinberg, DO, MBA, president of Hartford HealthCare’s Greater Manchester Region, “For more than 50 years, Marge has set the standard for excellence in emergency nursing. Her impact extends far beyond the patients she cared for, helping shape emergency nursing across Connecticut through her leadership, mentorship, and commitment to advancing the profession. Becoming the first nurse in Connecticut to earn this prestigious international distinction is a testament to the impact she has had on patients, colleagues and the community.”

The Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) named Letitia to its Hall of Honor in 2025. As state chair of trauma and pediatric training, she facilitated access to specific training at hospitals across the state to improve care for seriously ill and young patients. She became a subject matter expert in trauma, pediatrics and injury prevention and was a founding member of the state’s Gun Buyback Program in 2009.

Jaclyn Duskocy, RN, vice president of patient care services in the Greater Manchester Region, said: “Marge spent her entire career raising the standard of emergency nursing. By advancing education and championing best practices, she helped shape generations of emergency nurses and improve the care of patients across Connecticut.”

Letitia was one of eight fellows inducted into the Academy in 2026, following five in 2025 and six in 2024. Fellows must demonstrate a sustained body of work that has had a significant impact on emergency nursing beyond their own organization, and the honor is based on cumulative contributions.

“This international group of women and men represents the numerous ways emergency nurses improve patient care and strengthen the specialty wherever they work,” said Dustin Bass, DNP, MHA, RN, CEN, NEA-BC, president of the ENA, “Their contributions reflect exceptional individual achievement and leadership in pediatrics, pre-hospital response, research, education and leadership development.”

The ENA has up to 50,000 members worldwide, and fewer than 1% are fellows.