Acclaim Award
Honoring excellence and innovation
June, 2020 Update:
June 2020 Update: AMGA is in the process of reviewing the Acclaim Award criteria and application process to ensure the award continues to provide the highest honor to high-performing healthcare delivery organizations. In light of this review, the award will not be presented in 2021. Please check back on this page for further updates.
The Acclaim Award, supported by AMGA Foundation, rewards the nation’s premier healthcare delivery organizations that are high-performing and that are bringing their organization closer to the ideal delivery model―one that is measurably improving the quality and value of care, improving patient experience and outcomes, continuously learning and innovating, and improving population health.
The recipient of the 2020 Acclaim Award is Kentucky-based, St. Elizabeth Physicians. Two additional organizations, HealthPartners and Intermountain Medical Group were announced as an Acclaim Award honorees.
Mission
To honor the nation's premier healthcare delivery organizations that are high performing and are bringing their organization closer to the ideal medical group and health system by:
- Measurably improving the quality and value of care
- Improving patient experience and outcomes
- Continuously learning and innovating
- Improving population health
What Our Members Say
“To us, the Acclaim Award criteria is blueprint for delivering excellent care. It sets a high bar so getting over that bar requires us to hold ourselves to an equally high standard. Transforming care delivery takes considerable commitment and resources, so receiving the award is an especially satisfying recognition of all the hard work everyone at UW Medicine contributed. Although transforming care delivery is a never-ending journey, we view this as a very important milestone.”
– David Flum, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Chief Medical Officer, University of Washington Physicians (formerly)
2019 Acclaim Award Recipient
Past Recipients and Honorees
The AMGA Acclaim Award rewards quality improvement efforts, led by physician-directed organizations that measurably improve health outcomes and quality of life for patients. All aspects of the award process are of a stature to bring national recognition to the recipients, to the quality of physician-directed care, and to the strides being made in health care quality improvement.
Past Recipients and Honorees Summaries
Acclaim Award History
2015 [+]
The Acclaim Award is now awarded to two recipients
The Acclaim Award is now awarded to two recipients, one organization with more than 150 FTEs and one organization with fewer than 150 FTEs, as determined by AMGA due status. Two additional organizations will be selected as Acclaim Award honorees, regardless of size.
2009 [+]
AMGA celebrated 10 years of the Acclaim Award
AMGA celebrated 10 years of the Acclaim Award. The Recipient and Honorees were honored during an Acclaim Award Luncheon at AMGA’s Institute for Quality Leadership, September 30 - October 2, 2009, in San Francisco.
The applicant criteria were modified around the six Institute of Medicine Aims by incorporating the six attributes of an ideal healthcare delivery system as identified by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on High Performance Health System. Organizations are asked to demonstrate:
Clinically relevant patient information can be available to all providers at the point of care and to patients, preferably through electronic health record systems.
Patient care is coordinated among multiple providers, and transitions across care settings are actively managed.
All members of the care team both within and across settings have accountability to each other, review each other's work, and collaborate to reliably deliver high quality, high-value care.
Patients have easy access to appropriate care, including after hours; there are multiple points of entry to the system; and providers are culturally competent and responsive to patients’ needs.
There is clear accountability for the total care of patients.
The system is continuously innovating and learning.
2007 [+]
2007 Acclaim Award was granted through AMGA’s philanthropic arm, AMGA Foundation
The AMGA Board of Directors determined that the Acclaim Award should be sponsored solely by the association, rather than being co-sponsored with industry partners.
For the first year, the 2007 Acclaim Award was granted through AMGA’s philanthropic arm, AMGA Foundation. Further, it was decided that the Steuben Crystal was sufficient recognition and the monetary grants were eliminated.
2004 [+]
The application criteria were restructured around the six Institute of Medicine (IOM) Aims
The application criteria were restructured around the six Institute of Medicine (IOM) Aims for the 21st Century and placed a heavy emphasis on leadership involvement. Applicants were asked to measurably demonstrate progress toward achieving the six aims and transforming their organizations to provide health care that is (1) safe, (2) effective, (3) patient-centered, (4) timely, (5) efficient, and (6) equitable.
AMGA was looking for medical groups that go beyond "quality projects" by embracing the six IOM Aims and using them to make system-wide changes to build a better way of providing care.
1999 [+]
The AMGA Acclaim Award was first awarded in 1999 at the AMGA Annual Conference
The AMGA Acclaim Award began in 1999 as a way of recognizing medical groups for outstanding improvement in patient outcomes. It was initially co-sponsored by AMGA and Pharmacia & Upjohn.
The AMGA Acclaim Award was first awarded in 1999 at the AMGA Annual Conference. It was intended to reward quality improvement efforts, led by physician-directed healthcare organizations, which measurably improve health outcomes and quality of life for patient populations. The Acclaim Award recipient received a $50,000 educational grant and a Steuben Crystal, which was designed specifically for the Acclaim Award.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the Acclaim Award, please contact Senait Temesgen, AMGA Foundation program manager, by email or by phone at 703.838.0033 ext. 340.