California Health Care Firm Wins National Award
President Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez on Tuesday announced that San Diego-based Premier will be awarded the 2006 Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, in part for its work developing a Medicare pay-for-performance program, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
As part of a pilot project, Premier worked with 260 hospitals to implement standard treatments for heart attacks, pneumonia and other common medical conditions. Medicare awarded extra payments to hospitals that met quality-of-care guidelines established under the pilot.
Congress has directed Medicare to expand the program nationwide based on the pilot's results.
The awards will be presented in Washington, D.C., in early 2007 to Premier, MESA Products and North Mississippi Medical Center. This year there were 76 applicants for the award, which is intended to recognize leadership, strategic planning, customer service and other qualities (Darcé, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11/22).