MADERA, California – Dec. 11, 2024 - Valley Children’s has been named a notable Eureka silver level recipient by the California Awards for Performance Excellence (CAPE) Program, administered by the California Council for Excellence. This is the highest level of statewide recognition for performance excellence awarded to an organization in 2024. Honorees are recognized based on the Baldrige Framework for Performance Excellence for their outstanding commitment to sustainable excellence through innovation, continuous improvement, and visionary leadership.Valley Children’s is one of only two organizations to receive this advanced honor — and the only children’s hospital in the state.
“This distinguished award is a true testament to the tremendous efforts of the entire team at Valley Children’s,” shared Dr. David Christensen, senior Valley Children’s senior vice president, chief physician executive and Valley Children’s Medical Group president. “It not only celebrates our achievements in patient safety and quality performance, but it also reflects who we are as an organization at our core - compassionate, dedicated and driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence in care."
Eureka recipients are evaluated by teams of examiners through a rigorous process that takes more than three months, including a weeklong site visit. The evaluation covers the organization’s performance in seven areas defined by the Baldrige Framework: leadership, strategy, customers, measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce, operations and results.
Overseen by CCE, the CAPE program manages the awards process, adhering to the Baldrige Framework, the highest standards of performance excellence in the country. The national Baldrige Performance Excellence Program raises awareness about the importance of performance excellence in driving the U.S. and global economy. It provides organizational assessments, training, tools and frameworks; educates leaders in businesses, schools, healthcare organizations and government and nonprofit organizations; shares the best practices of national role models; and recognizes those role models with the Baldrige Award.
“Together, we are committed to delivering the highest standard of care to our patients and their families, and this recognition reflects the heart and soul of Valley Children’s,” added Raed Khoury, Valley Children’s vice president of Quality and Patient Safety, Research, and Clinical Value. “It is only through the compassion, expertise and collaboration of our teams that we can make a difference in the lives of the patients we serve each and every day.”
This distinguished honor is one of several that reinforces the pediatric healthcare network’s commitment to excellence. Valley Children’s is ranked among the top 3% in the country as a 2023 Top Children's Hospital by The Leapfrog Group and was the first children’s hospital west of the Rockies to receive Magnet Nursing designation, the highest nursing benchmark in the world. Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report again named Valley Children’s one of the Best Children’s Hospitals in the country in three pediatric specialties, and the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) earned the Beacon Award for Excellence from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN).