September 22, 2026

Applications Now Open for the CAHME/Baldrige Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence

byCAHME/Baldrige Foundation

CAHME is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted exclusively from Program Directors of CAHME-accredited programs for the Baldrige Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence .

In partnership with the Baldrige Foundation, CAHME is proud to offer one Program Director the opportunity to receive this prestigious award in recognition of their commitment to leadership, quality improvement, and excellence in healthcare administration education. We are grateful to the Baldrige Foundation for its outstanding partnership and to the university for its continued support of the healthcare administration program.

The award has been revised to include new opportunities and benefits for both the award recipient and their college. The recipient will receive two exclusive opportunities, while their college will receive a special benefit of its own.

The award provides the following opportunities and benefits:

Present your Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiative using the CAHME Process Improvement Cycle (PIC) tool during CAHME Bootcamp in June 2027.
Receive a Baldrige Medallion and certificate recognizing your achievement and commitment to leadership excellence.
Receive a complimentary Silver Organizational Membership to the Institute for Performance Excellence for both the Program Director and their College. This membership provides all employees with access to more than 370 online training and certification courses, with partial scholarships available for eligible courses.
Receive access to the National Assessment Center, providing valuable resources and tools to support organizational performance and continuous improvement.

This award is a unique opportunity to showcase the impact of your program’s CQI efforts, strengthen your leadership journey, and gain access to resources that can benefit your program and institution well beyond the award itself. We encourage eligible Program Directors to take advantage of this opportunity to have their work recognized on a national level and to share their commitment to advancing excellence in healthcare management education.

Who Is Eligible?

Program Director of a currently CAHME-accredited program
Served as Program Director for at least one year before the application deadline
Program is in good standing
No unresolved Not Mets or Critical Concerns from the program’s most recent site visit
Program Director played a substantial leadership role in the CQI initiative being submitted

Before You Apply: Have You Used the PIC Tool?

Applicants must have led and implemented a continuous quality improvement initiative using CAHME’s Program Improvement Cycle (PIC) Tool. The completed PIC should demonstrate the program’s CQI process, including the opportunity identified, actions taken, results evaluated, and improvements achieved.

Application Includes

Completed CAHME PIC Tool
Brief narrative responses describing the initiative and the Program Director’s leadership
Supporting documentation, when appropriate

CAHME uses an online portal hosted on the OpenWater platform. This centralized system simplifies the submission process, allowing applicants to easily upload materials, track their progress, and receive updates all in one place.

We encourage all eligible Program Directors to apply and take this opportunity to have their leadership and commitment to continuous improvement recognized through the Baldrige Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence.

Questions and Online Application Help
Brianna Moccia, CAHME Operations Manager | 301-298-1820 ext. 707

Application Deadline: November 16, 2026

Submit Your Program Director Nomination Today!

Return To List

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.

Learn More