The application period for the 2021 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards is open now through September 30. The annual awards program from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum (NQF) recognizes major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality.
Awards are presented in three categories: individual achievement, national level innovation in patient safety and quality, and local level innovation in patient safety and quality. Past recipients of this award include the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Rapid Naloxone Initiative, HCA Healthcare, WellSpan Health, Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety, the American College of Surgeons, and Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, among others who have made significant and long-lasting contributions to improving patient safety and healthcare quality.
Initiatives or projects eligible for the national and local level awards will have involved successful system changes or interventions that make the environment of care safer or that advocate on the patient’s behalf. These efforts may address new technologies, protocols, procedures, education, organization culture, legislation, the media, patient advocacy, systems theory, or another area. Organizations applying must have, at minimum, 12 months of data supporting the improvement made by the featured initiative.
Applications will be evaluated by a panel of experts and leaders in healthcare quality and safety, chaired by Carolyn Clancy, MD, Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, VHA.
Launched in 2002, this award program honors the late John M. Eisenberg, MD, MBA, former administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. An impassioned advocate for healthcare quality improvement, Dr. Eisenberg was a founding member of NQF’s board of directors.
For more information on the application process and to access the application form, click here.
