2023 Performance Excellence Winner: Access Community Health Centers’ Substance Use Disorder Expansion Project

2023 Performance Excellence Award Nominees

Description

To demonstrate WPHCA’s commitment to supporting Community Health Center (CHC) team-based performance improvement and innovation, WPHCA is soliciting nominations for the 2023 Performance Excellence Award. The award is conferred annually at WPHCA’s Fall Learning Session. The Performance Excellence Award recognizes and celebrates CHC teams and the efforts they have made over the past year towards achieving the quadruple aim: improving the health of patients, improving the patient experience, improving the cost effectiveness of care and/or improving the staff satisfaction. WPHCA recognizes that improvements can come in many forms and could include a range of achievements, including clinical and organizational process improvements, innovations in digital tools and technology, service expansion, and more. 

Nominees will be able to describe the role that team members had in achieving improvements through planned change processes. Additionally, WPHCA recognizes that Health Center engagement and participation in WPHCA Peer Learning Networks, training, data submission, and technical assistance activities are critical to the sustainability and viability of WPHCA and our CHCs. The selected team will have demonstrated collegiality in sharing their experiences with colleagues and peers through the state and/or nation. 

Criteria

All nominees must meet the following general criteria:  

• Nominated team represents an inter-professional performance improvement team that has been working together and demonstrates or is working toward a culture of excellence. 
• Note: To encourage leadership development within CHCs, teams led by staff other than CEO/Executive level will be preferred. Senior leadership may be represented on the performance improvement team, however primary work efforts and coordination should be led by other staff. 
• The nominated team has undertaken or guided a specific performance improvement or innovation initiative at their Health Center towards achieving the quadruple aim: improve the health of patients, improve patient experience with their care and/or improve the cost effectiveness of care, and improve provider & staff experience. 
• The team has demonstrated improvement or advancement toward project goals utilizing systemic improvement processes and tools (PDSA, A3, data that may include Core Metrics and/or DRVS reports, etc.) and/or Health Information Technology. 
• The nominee recognizes and demonstrates the “community” aspect of Community Health Center through engagement and collaboration within their local and statewide Health Center community by sharing and spreading their improvement learnings. 
• Nominees are encouraged to demonstrate how their improvement efforts reduced disparity or improved equity. 

Selection Process

WPHCA staff will facilitate an objective selection process administered by 2-3 out-of-state Primary Care Association, Health Center Controlled Network, or CHC staff who will be recruited to serve as an objective review team.