April 7, 2026

2026 Power 50: Kurt Barwis

byHartford Business - Connecticut's Business News

Kurt A. Barwis has served as president and CEO of Bristol Health since 2006, leading the independent health system in a competitive health care market. During his tenure, Bristol Hospital earned both Magnet and Baldrige regional designations.

Barwis was recently named a 2026 Baldrige Foundation Award recipient for leadership excellence. Before joining Bristol Health, he held several health care leadership roles, including senior vice president and chief operating officer of St. Mary’s Hospital in Maryland and system vice president of managed care and business development at Union Hospital in Maryland.

Earlier in his career, he also served as vice president of finance and chief financial officer of Renaissance Technology Inc., an early-stage medical device company.

Barwis has been active in national and state health care organizations and has served on the Connecticut governor’s Healthcare Cabinet since 2016. He currently serves on the board of trustees of the American Hospital Association.

He said health care organizations continue to face financial pressures from declining reimbursement and affordability issues affecting patient bad debt, while partnership opportunities remain an important area for growth.

What qualities are most essential for effective leadership today?

Selfless, self-aware leaders that engage, listen, communicate effectively/transparently and have a strong competency in strategy and strategy execution.

Check out the other 2026 Power Players

What do you value most about living or doing business in Connecticut?

It’s a beautiful state, and schools and education are excellent.

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Baldrige Excellence Framework

Overview: Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee

The Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee is a formally convened body of recognized experts, recipients, examiners, and sector representatives charged with maintaining the technical integrity, precision, and consistency of the Baldrige Excellence Framework as a globally recognized standard of excellence.

Operating under the authority of the Baldrige Foundation Board of Directors, and with the approval of the U.S. Department of Commerce, this Advisory Committee, guided by its Chair, ensures that the Framework continues to reflect the highest standards of systems thinking, organizational assessment, and performance excellence, which will allow organizations and communities to improve their performance, achieve results, and sustain excellence.

The Committee’s purpose is to:

Preserve and validate the technical accuracy of the Framework’s concepts, criteria, and structure.
Advise the Foundation on proposed revisions, updates, cross-sector adaptations, and the development of additional tools and resources.
Ensure consistency across versions and sectors, maintaining the Framework’s unity, integration, and interpretive reliability.
Provide expert recommendations regarding emerging practices, data requirements, and alignment with related industry-recognized standards.
Safeguard the integrity of the Baldrige model as a trusted national and global standard.
Partner with others in the Baldrige ecosystem to coordinate a relationship between the Baldrige Excellence Framework and the Baldrige Award Criteria that is based on consistency, logic, and harmony to benefit user groups such as Applicants.

Membership in the Committee represents a professional distinction and reflects deep expertise in applying, teaching, or advancing the Baldrige Excellence Framework. Members serve as the technical stewards of the nation’s standard for organizational excellence. The term of a committee member is one (1) year and is renewable by invitation only.

Baldrige Framework National Technical Committee Listing

Data Table
Role	Name	Title	Company
Chair	Denise Shields	Board Chair	California Council for Excellence
Officer / Ex-Officio	Josh Racette	President & CEO	Baldrige Foundation
Member	Dawn Bailey	Program Manager / Senior Technical Writer and Editor	Baldrige Executive Fellows Program / Forensic Building Science, Inc.
Member	Margot Hoffman	President & CEO / Board Chair	The Partnership for Excellence / Alliance for Performance Excellence
Member	Jan Johnson	President & CEO	Jordan Johnson, Inc.
Member	Cindy Milrany	Chief Strategy Officer/Chief Administrative Officer	Freese & Nichols
Member	Urvi Patel	Senior Director - Quality and Programs	American Health Care Association
Member	JoAnn Sternke	Founder	Leader Excellence
Committee Advisor	Bob Fangmeyer	Program Director	Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
Committee Advisor	Harry Hertz	Director Emeritus - retired	Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
Committee Advisor	Brian Lassiter	President & CEO	Alliance for Performance Excellence

We are Building a Legacy of Excellence

Help us provide inspiration to the thousands of organizations in manufacturing, health care, education, communities, and government that are using the Baldrige Framework to create jobs and strengthen the economy, increase the quality and access to health care, and improve K-12 and higher education as we navigate these challenging times.

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