Due to the impact COVID-19 is having on hospital and health system staff, MHA will be suspending the 2020 Aim for Excellence Awards. While we believe these awards are important to recognize the outstanding work that individuals and hospitals are doing, we also understand how valuable your time is, especially now, and should be devoted to addressing the needs of your hospitals and communities.

In 2016, MHA introduced the Aim for Excellence Award, an annual, prestigious award to recognize Missouri hospitals’ innovation and outcomes related to the Triple Aim approach.

The award recognizes achievement, disseminates successful models, motivates innovation, promotes the publication, and supports application to nationally-based grants and awards.

The goal of every hospital is to maximize the patient-centered, efficient quality of care while reducing financial costs and penalties. The Triple Aim approach is intended to improve the individual experience of care, improve the health of populations, and reduce per capita costs of care for populations.

How to Apply

Categories (maximum of one application per hospital facility)

• Critical access and rural hospitals
• Small and large metropolitan statistical area hospitals
• Care collaborative or health care system

Timeline

• Release applications – February
• Applications due – May
• Notify awardees – August
• Compile and produce compendium – September-October
• Announce and recognize awardees – November during MHA’s Annual Convention & Trade Show
• Press release, press kit and compendium release – November following convention

Eligibility

• Project-based applications designating a team or organization
• Limit of one application per hospital, although a hospital also may be part of the larger comprehensive care model award
• Intervention must have been implemented for at least one year and have evidence of results
• Hospital-based applications must address at least two of the three Triple Aim principles; awards for the comprehensive care model or health system must address all three principles

Scoring

Each eligible application will be judged and scored by a team of external Missouri partners, including funders, academics, health-related centers, and health-related organizations.

The top application in each category must receive a minimum average total score of 75/100 to receive the award. If no applications in a particular category receive at least 75 points, no awards will be given in that category.

Applicants and CEOs from winning hospitals receive:

• Complimentary registration for MHA’s Annual Convention & Trade Show
• Complimentary tickets to the Celebration of Achievement Awards Dinner
• Recognition in a news release to local and statewide media
• Press kit sent to award winners
• Inclusion in compendium

Applicants and CEOs from honorable mention hospitals receive:

• Complimentary tickets to the Celebration of Achievement Awards Dinner at MHA’s Annual Convention
• Inclusion in compendium

VIEW THE AIM FOR EXCELLENCE AWARD FAQS

Past Recipients

Click the links to view the winners’ award videos.

2019 Award Winners

2019 Aim for Excellence Award Winners

• Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospitals — Mosaic Medical Center – Albany
• Small and Large Metropolitan Hospitals — Saint Francis Medical Center, Cape Girardeau
• Care Collaborative or Health Care System — Mercy Health, St. Louis

2019 Honorable Mention

• Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospitals — Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, Clinton
• Small and Large Metropolitan Hospitals — Southeast Hospital, Cape Girardeau
• Care Collaborative or Health Care System — Saint Luke’s Health System, Kansas City

2018 Award Winners

2018 Aim for Excellence Award Winners

• Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospitals — Perry County Memorial Hospital, Perryville
• Small and Large Metropolitan Hospitals — CoxHealth, Springfield
• Care Collaborative or Health Care System — Mercy, St. Louis

2018 Honorable Mention

• Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospitals — Northwest Medical Center
• Small and Large Metropolitan Hospitals — Saint Luke’s North Hospital
• Care Collaborative or Health Care System — Children’s Mercy Kansas City

2017 Award Winners

2017 Aim for Excellence Award Winners

• Small and Large Metropolitan Hospitals — Capital Region Medical Center, Jefferson City
• Care Collaborative or Health Care System — Northeast Regional Medical Center, Kirksville

2017 Honorable Mention

• Small and Large Metropolitan Hospitals — Saint Luke’s North Hospital
• Care Collaborative or Health Care System — CoxHealth

Compendium of Initiatives & Lessons Learned

In 2019, 13 applications were submitted for the Aim for Excellence award. We would like to acknowledge and thank our judges from academic and health-related backgrounds, who brought a high level of expertise to the evaluation. Based on overall aggregate scores, three MHA-member organizations were identified as winners, and three were chosen for honorable mention. These six hospitals, along with other high-scoring applicants, have agreed to share their quality improvement journeys.

Health care professionals are encouraged to review the compendium to identify best practices and lessons learned, and to recognize peers leading transformational improvement. Continued innovation among thought leaders is necessary in this rapidly advancing health care environment.

VIEW THE 2019 COMPENDIUM