Published on December 21, 2010

Genesis Health System Recognized  For Performance Excellence

Genesis Health System has been selected as a silver award recipient of the 2010 Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence Awards (IRPE), Iowa's premier award recognizing innovation and performance excellence.

Genesis received the silver award for the second consecutive year.  Only four Iowa organizations received gold, silver or bronze recognition for 2010.

The Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence awards were established in 2000 to help businesses and organizations in Iowa become more sustainable by identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement within their organizations.  Each applicant organization receives more than 1,200 hours of analysis by a team of trained examiners.  The IRPE program presents awards to the organizations that demonstrate successful process-based results.

The Iowa process is aligned with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, and the Criteria for Performance Excellence are used for the assessment.  Companies and organizations that complete the Iowa process are better positioned to prepare for the Baldrige National Quality Award.

Over the history of the Iowa Recognition for Performance Excellence, only four organizations have received gold awards, 19 have received silver and 22 have received bronze.

Genesis has earned recognition in its first four applications.

"This recognition is part of a process that helps Genesis gain valuable insight into our performance and how we can improve,'' said Doug Cropper, President and CEO, Genesis Health System. "Our goal in this journey remains the same; a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award that recognizes excellence at the national level. The silver recognition indicates that we are on the right path toward our ultimate goal.

"We are very pleased to again be recognized for our commitment to quality.  That commitment continues to benefit our patients.''

The Baldrige Award is given each year by the President of the United States to businesses — manufacturing and service, small and large — and to education, health care and nonprofit organizations that apply and are judged to be outstanding in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and results.

Genesis Health System and the other Iowa organizations recognized for 2010 will be presented their awards next spring.