KINGSPORT
– Just three years after reinventing itself as a physician-led, safety-centered organization, Wellmont Health System has been named the winner of the 2007 Excellence Award presented by the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence.
Wellmont is the sole winner of the 2007 Excellence Award, which is the highest level of achievement in the TNCPE awards program. Businesses and organizations representing a wide range of industry participated in the statewide awards program, but Wellmont is the only organization to earn TNCPE’s top honor this year.
Health system representatives will accept the award at the 15th annual Excellence in Tennessee Awards Banquet in February.
“This prestigious honor recognizes our hospitals’ consistent delivery of clinically superior health care and unsurpassed customer service to the communities we serve,” said A. Lee Shillito, chairman of the Wellmont board of directors. “The commitment of our physicians and employees to patient safety through continuous process improvement is truly setting our organization apart not only in Tennessee but also across the nation.”
The not-for-profit Wellmont system includes 13 hospitals in three states. Nearly 1,000 physicians and 7,000 employees serve patients across Northeast Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Southeast Kentucky.
The TNCPE Excellence Award is presented annually to an organization that has demonstrated management excellence through its practices and achievements. Winners at this advanced level are considered outstanding examples of high-performance organizations, exhibiting world-class processes that serve as role models for others. The program uses the Criteria for Performance Excellence established by the Baldrige National Quality Program as the evaluation tool.
“The Tennessee Excellence Award confirms attainment of a goal that most organizations set but few reach: confirmation of being the best," said Gov. Phil Bredesen. “Winners of this award have demonstrated a level of organizational aptitude seen in only the most forward-thinking, competitive organizations. It is gratifying that Tennessee is home to several of these organizations.
“I applaud Wellmont Health System for its achievement and for demonstrating the quest for business excellence is alive and well in Tennessee.”
Dr. Richard Salluzzo, Wellmont’s president and chief executive officer, said unparalleled collaboration and teamwork have fueled the health system’s successes.
“Our journey to excellence began with our board members, who charted a new course for our organization three years ago,” Dr. Salluzzo said. “Our physician partners and our employees embraced the vision set by our board and dedicated themselves to patient safety and clinical quality. Together, we have made extraordinary progress, as receipt of the Excellence Award signifies. But our journey is not complete.
“Every day, our board members, physicians and employees commit themselves anew to our mission, vision and values. As a result, our hospitals are growing ever safer and stronger for the communities we serve across the Tri-State region.”