Is there hope for a health care Baldrige award?
Is there hope for a health care Baldrige award?
Will not-for-profit health care providers finally have a crack at the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award? Once again, that will depend on Congress and its willingness to fund and expand the coveted business award.
While for-profit hospitals are already able to participate in the prestigious business competition and show off successful total quality management strategies, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has failed to specifically add nonprofit health care providers including nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, physician practices, and HMOs to its company-focused roster.
The Senate, which did not increase its funding for a Baldrige expansion, is also against the expansion. In fact, it admits it would prefer that health care form its own version of the quality award.
The House bill, however, is offering $4.1 million for the program $1.1 million more than the Senate and hopes that the NIST will broaden the award’s focus. President Clinton also upped the program’s ante to $5.3 million, with $2.3 million being set aside for potential health care and education awards.
But what appears to be a shoe-in for health care providers may quickly fall through the cracks, especially with the nation’s fluctuating budgets. Still, providers have reason for optimism. Pilot programs performed for the health care industry proved successful, indicating that a health care Baldrige could offer some widely accepted quality guidelines and boost overall performance within the industry.
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