U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson named four organizations – three health care operations and one nonprofit business – as recipients of the 2011 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest Presidential honor for performance excellence through innovation, improvement and visionary leadership. This marks the first year that three health care organizations have been selected at one time.

The 2011 Baldrige Award recipients – listed with their category-are:
1. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO (nonprofit)
2. Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, MI (health care)
3. Schneck Medical Center, Seymour, IN (health care)
4. Southcentral Foundation, Anchorage, AK (health care)

“With innovative practices, an unwavering commitment to excellence, dynamic management and proven results, the four organizations recognized today with the 2011 Baldrige Award will serve as role models-not only for their peers in the health care, nonprofit and business sectors-but for every American organization that strives for a higher standard of performance and never settles for second-best,” said Commerce Secretary John Bryson.

The 2011 Baldrige Award recipients were selected from a field of 69 applicants. All of the applicants were evaluated rigorously by an independent board of examiners in seven areas defined by the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; operations focus; and results. The evaluation process for each of the recipients included about 1,000 hours of review and an on-site visit by a team of examiners to clarify questions and verify information in the applications.