Community Hospital celebrates status as finalist for national award

McCOOK, Neb. – Community Hospital is proud to announce its remarkable journey in the pursuit of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, highlighting the organization’s unwavering commitment to excellence and continuous improvement. Following a comprehensive site visit in July, Community Hospital achieved finalist status for the 2024 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a testament to the dedication of its staff and leadership.

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, established by the U.S. Congress in 1987, is the nation’s highest recognition for organizational performance excellence. Community Hospital’s participation in this rigorous process involved a detailed application, outlining the organization’s dedication to best practices in leadership, strategy, customers, workforce, and operations. As a finalist, Community Hospital underwent an exhaustive on-site evaluation conducted by a team of Baldrige examiners. During this visit, the examiners reviewed the hospital’s systems and processes, gathering insights from employees and leadership teams to assess the hospital’s alignment with Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.

Winners of this year’s Baldrige Awards for Performance Exellence included Alamo Colleges District of Texas, Chickasaw Nation Department of Health in Oklahoma, the City of Henderson in Nevada, Freese and Nichols Inc. of Texas and Northeast Delta Dental of New Hampshire.

“It was an honor to welcome the Baldrige site visit team to Community Hospital,” said Troy Bruntz, President and CEO of Community Hospital. “This process not only reflects our commitment to delivering the highest quality of care but also provides us with invaluable feedback that helps us continue improving and better serving our community.

Reaching this milestone is a shared achievement that speaks to the dedication and expertise of our entire staff.”

Throughout the Baldrige journey, Community Hospital has embraced a culture of transparency, accountability, and innovation.

The hospital’s Baldrige journey involved assessing and enhancing systems to better meet the needs of its patients and community, including process improvements across departments, increased teamwork, and the integration of cutting-edge technology to support healthcare delivery. Community Hospital’s commitment to excellence underscores the hospital’s role as a leader in healthcare for the region and its pledge to continually strive for improvement.

As a 2024 finalist, Community Hospital looks forward to continuing its journey toward excellence and maintaining the high standards that the Baldrige framework promotes. Achieving finalist status has brought pride to the organization and underscores the hospital’s role in leading the region to a healthier future.