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President Barack Obama and Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced on Dec. 7, 2009, that five organizations have been named the recipients of the 2009 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation's highest Presidential honor for innovation and performance excellence.
The 2009 Baldrige Award recipients—listed with their category—are:
- Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, Kansas City, Mo. (manufacturing)
- MidwayUSA, Columbia, Mo. (small business)
- AtlantiCare, Egg Harbor Township, N.J. (health care)
- Heartland Health, St. Joseph, Mo. (health care)
- VA Cooperative Studies Program Clinical Research Pharmacy Coordinating Center, Albuquerque, N.M. (nonprofit)
The 2009 Baldrige Award recipients were selected from a field of 70 applicants. All of the applicants were evaluated rigorously by an independent board of examiners in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. The evaluation process for each of the recipients included about 1,000 hours of review and an on-site visit by a team of examiners to clarify questions and verify information in the applications.
The 2009 Baldrige Award recipients are expected to be presented with their awards in a ceremony in Washington, D.C., next year.
Named after Malcolm Baldrige, the 26th Secretary of Commerce, the Baldrige Award was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness and performance of U.S. businesses. The award promotes excellence in organizational performance, recognizes the achievements and results of U.S. organizations, and publicizes successful performance strategies. The award is not given for specific products or services. Since 1988, 80 organizations have received Baldrige Awards.
The Baldrige National Quality Program is managed by the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in conjunction with the private sector. For profiles of the five 2009 Baldrige Award recipients, as well as information on the Award and the Baldrige Program, go to www.nist.gov/baldrige.