2011 John M. Eisenberg Awards: Applications Due Oct 3
Washington, D.C. and Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois August 3, 2011—The National Quality Forum (NQF) and The Joint Commission are accepting applications for the 2011 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards. The awards recognize individuals, healthcare organizations, professional associations and healthcare collaboratives that are making significant contributions in improving the safety and quality of patient care.
Application forms for the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards are available at www.jointcommission.org and www.qualityforum.org. The deadline for submissions is October 3, 2011.
The awards honor the memory of Dr. Eisenberg, a nationally recognized leader in healthcare quality improvement who advocated for healthcare “based on a strong foundation of research” that meets the needs and perspectives of patients. Dr. Eisenberg, who died in 2002, spearheaded national efforts to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety as director of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
The John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards will be presented in up to three categories including Individual Achievement, and System Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality on both the national and local levels. The accomplishments of award applicants must be focused on one or more of the following: dedication to improving the quality of healthcare and patient safety; leadership in advancing methods for measuring and reporting healthcare quality; expanding the public’s capacity to evaluate the quality and safety of healthcare; or promoting healthcare choices based upon information about safety and quality.
Eligible organizations include integrated health systems; individual hospitals; hospital systems; multispecialty group practices; chronic care programs; and unit or business lines within an organization engaged in patient safety initiatives. If an organization applying for the award is eligible to be accredited by The Joint Commission, then it must be accredited. Some applicants such as individuals or a group of collaborators that include entities such as a health department or a professional organization may not be eligible for accreditation, but they are still eligible to apply.
Awards are not necessarily given in each category every year and more than one award could be presented in a given category. An award panel of external experts in patient safety and health care quality select the recipients. Award recipients will be notified by the panel no later than February 1, 2012. For more information about the award and to read about past recipients, go to http://www.qualityforum.org/Events/Awards/Eisenberg_Award/Past_Recipients.aspx.
Completed nomination forms and application fees may be mailed to the attention of Sarah Callahan, senior director, Education, National Quality Forum, 601 13th Street NW, Suite 500 North, Washington, DC 20005. The 2011 awards will be presented at NQF’s Annual Conference April 3-5, 2012 in Washington, D.C.
NQF operates under a three-part mission to improve the quality of American healthcare by:
- building consensus on national priorities and goals for performance improvement and working in partnership to achieve them;
- endorsing national consensus standards for measuring and publicly reporting on performance; and
- promoting the attainment of national goals through education and outreach programs.
About The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve health care for the public, in collaboration with other stakeholders, by evaluating health care organizations and inspiring them to excel in providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 19,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 10,300 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,500 other health care organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also provides certification of more than 2,000 disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.