Newman Memorial Hospital, Hackensack Meridian Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and UPMC are among the honorees recognized at the UNIFY 2026 conference.
Joint Commission announced its 2026 award winners at its annual flagship UNIFY 2026: Convening for Quality conference, recognizing healthcare organizations and individuals for leadership, innovation, and contributions to patient safety and quality of care.
The awards program is designed to honor organizations and individuals driving advancements across the healthcare industry, with the goal of supporting the shared vision that all people should have access to the safest, highest-quality care across settings.
Newman Memorial Hospital received the 2026 Award of Excellence, which honors an individual or healthcare organization for outstanding leadership and remarkable contributions to healthcare. Hackensack Meridian Health was named the recipient of the 2026 Healthcare Innovation Award, which recognizes a healthcare organization for advancing the frontiers of healthcare and setting new standards of excellence.
“Each of our 2026 award recipients exemplifies the very best of healthcare,” says Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Joint Commission, in a release. “Behind every initiative, organization, and individual recognized today are patients and families whose lives have been touched by their dedication to advancing safer care, improving quality, and driving innovation, ultimately leading to better health outcomes for all.”
Eisenberg Awards Recognize Patient Safety Innovation
The John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards honor achievements by individuals and organizations making a measurable difference in patient safety and quality of care. Launched in 2002, the program honors the late John M. Eisenberg, MD, MBA, former administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
This year’s Eisenberg honorees include:
- National Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality: Johns Hopkins Medicine, for its BrighT STAR (Testing Stewardship for Antibiotic Reduction) Learning Health Community initiative.
- Local Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center for its Real-Time Genomic Surveillance for Outbreak Detection and Control initiative.
- Individual Achievement: Sanjay Saint, MD, MPH, MACP, professor emeritus of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School, who last month joined Northwell Health and the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.
Physician and Nurse Leadership Honorees
The 2026 Physician Leadership Award was presented to Walter R. Peters, Jr, MD, MBA, of Baylor Scott & White Health, and Thomas McGinn, MD, MPH, of CommonSpirit Health. The award recognizes physicians for contributions to improving patient care, advancing medical practice, and implementing solutions to complex healthcare challenges.
The 2026 Nurse Leadership Award honored Cmdr Michelle Livingston of the Office of Quality, Indian Health Service, and Corey Russell, DNP, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, for leadership in advancing patient-centered care, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration, and elevating nursing practice.
Two New Awards Debut in 2026
Joint Commission introduced two new awards this year. The inaugural Care Team Award, which recognizes interdisciplinary care teams for collaboration, coordination, and commitment to patient-centered care, was presented to the Bon Secours Mercy Health Project Voyager Team and the team at Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Northeast.
The Champion for Children’s Care Award, which honors individuals whose commitment to children’s healthcare has advanced care models and improved patient outcomes, was presented to Nicklaus Children’s Health System.
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