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 publication, and supports application to nationally-based grants and awards.

The goal of every hospital is to maximize 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.

Recognizing that hospitals have different resources, the award is divided into two categories. Judges will include external Missouri funding, academic and health-related partners.

The awards will be presented at MHA’s Annual Convention in November.

How to Apply

Applications no longer are being accepted for the 2022 awards.

Categories (maximum of two applications per hospital facility)

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

Timeline

• Release applications – February
• Applications due – Friday, May 6
• Notify awardees – August
• Announce and recognize awardees – November during MHA’s Annual Convention
• 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 facility
• 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

Application Guidelines

All applications must be submitted on the application template. No other form of application will be accepted. The application template is a Word document to allow entrants to expand and condense sections under required headings. The application must be single-spaced using Calibri font no smaller than 11 point. The executive summary must NOT exceed two pages, and the entire application narrative must NOT exceed nine pages. Once the application is complete, submit the application at www.mhanet.com/afea.

Judging

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. Judging criteria will include the following.

• Executive Summary — A two-page project summary outlining: 1) project description; 2) goal; 3) improvement strategy; 4) results and 5) lessons learned.
• Triple Aim — Alignment with at least one principle of the Triple Aim (population, care/quality, cost/value)
  • Bonus Points (at the discretion of each judge) – Provide evidence of all three principles incorporated into the initiative and results
• National Academy of Medicine STEEEP Aims — Alignment with at least one STEEEP aim – safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, patient-centered
• Problem Statement — Problem statement clearly must identify and support, with data, an opportunity for improvement
• Project Goal — Project goal clearly must state a measurable improvement
• Strategy — Strategy and interventions must be based on scholarly evidence
• Methodology — Framework and implementation of improvement, specific tools used, communication and change management strategies
• Engagement — External partner and leadership engagement
• Results — Data-driven outcomes
• Sustainability — Plan for sustainability and replication/spread
• Lessons Learned — Most significant positive lesson learned, most significant challenge and strategy to improve

Applications referencing name, organization and/or location will result in disqualification. Please closely review all documents, charts and graphs.

Scoring

• Eligibility and phase one scoring will be conducted by MHA clinical, quality and safety staff.
• Second phase review and scoring will be conducted by external judges.
• Award selection will be based on final ranked score.
• One application for each rural and each MSA category for each of the seven focus areas will be awarded, with a maximum of 14 total awards possible.

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 75/100 points, no awards will be given in that category.

Applicants and CEOs from winning hospitals receive:

• complimentary registration for MHA’s Annual Convention
• 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

VIEW THE AIM FOR EXCELLENCE AWARD FAQS

Compendium of Initiatives & Lessons Learned

In 2021, applications addressed specific COVID-19 challenges. 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, two MHA-member organizations were identified as winners. These hospitals, along with other high-scoring applicants, agreed to share their COVID-19 challenges and improvement journeys.

Health care professionals are encouraged to review the report 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.

READ THE REPORT