MADISON – Wisconsin Forward Award, the state’s premier organization for assessing and recognizing high-performance leadership and management principles, has announced that Black River Memorial Hospital has been awarded  the Wisconsin Forward Award of Excellence – the highest level of achievement possible under the Wisconsin Forward Award.

Excellence recipients demonstrate refined approaches, good-to-excellent results, and are considered industry leaders and role models for others. BRMH began its journey of excellence in 2009. Since then, BRMH has been recognized by various organizations for being an excellent place to receive care as well as being an employer of choice.

Mary Beth White-Jacobs said, “The National Baldrige criteria are an integral part of our ‘Excellence Always Journey’. Using the criteria allows us to focus our work in areas that have the most impact on our patients, our employees and community. As a result, our outcomes for customer service, quality of care and employee engagement are leading the industry. Our team of dedicated providers and staff work tirelessly every day to ensure Jackson County has access to the ‘best community hospital in the nation’.”

 Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), a provider of a wide range of life-sustaining and life-saving services to children and adults in Milwaukee County, received Proficiency recognition for making significant progress in successful implementation of quality management practices .  DHHS is one of 13 Milwaukee County departments reporting to the County Executive and the County Board of Supervisors.

 Wisconsin Forward Award, Inc. was created in 1997 by the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment to advance the competitive position and world-class status of Wisconsin organizations in the international marketplace, and to enhance learning, continuous improvement, and enterprise performance. The award, modeled after the Baldrige National Quality Award program, promotes excellence in organizational management, recognizes the achievements and results of Wisconsin organizations implementing performance excellence systems, and publicizes successful performance excellence management strategies.

All types and sizes of Wisconsin organizations are eligible to apply, including manufacturers, service companies, small businesses, educational institutions, health care organizations, and non-profit organizations, including trade and professional associations, government entities, and charities.

Wisconsin Forward Award is administered by the Wisconsin Center for Performance Excellence. Visit www.wisquality.org to learn more about the program.