Covenant Health Organizations Win Tennessee Quality Awards
 Five Covenant Health member organizations and one department have won awards from the Tennessee Quality program which annually recognizes companies that have achieved high standards of operational excellence.
Parkwest Medical Center and Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center (entering as one organization) and Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center received Quality Achievement awards, as did Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center. Peninsula Behavioral Health, Fort Loudoun Medical Center, and Covenant’s materials management department received Quality Commitment awards.
The organizations were recognized at a statewide celebration in Nashville on Feb. 16. Sixty-four companies received quality awards in four categories: Quality Interest, Quality Commitment, Quality Achievement, and the prestigious Award of Excellence.
"I am so pleased for our medical center family to receive this award for the third year in a row," said Ellen Wilhoit, Fort Sanders Sevier’s president and chief administrative officer. "The TQA review helps us improve our care processes and keeps us focused on quality improvement. Our goal is to seek the next level of achievement, the Award of Excellence."
Jim Burkhart, president of Fort Sanders Parkwest and Regional Medical Centers, recognized the progress the Knoxville medical centers have made since their participation in the program last year. "The award is a tremendous achievement," he said. "For the two hospitals to advance a full level in one year demonstrates our commitment to providing quality care for our patients and a supportive environment for employees."
The Tennessee Quality program is not just about winning prestigious awards. It also provides an effective way to measure progress in quality improvement. "The Tennessee Quality Commitment Award is an important external measure of Peninsula’s dedication to quality health care. The recognition is a distinct honor that our entire staff shares," according to John Milner, president of Peninsula Behavioral Health.
Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center is the first fitness center in the state to win a quality award. "I’m excited by our staff’s involvement in continually improving our processes" said Jim Aldmon, general manager. "The true value of this program is in the self-review and improvement opportunities that are part of the application process. Ultimately our members and the entire community benefit from our involvement."
During the past three years Covenant Health’s member organizations have received 13 quality awards. In 1997 Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge was the first health care organization to receive a Tennessee Quality Award of Excellence, the highest level of the quality awards.
Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist said, "The quest for quality distinguishes our state as a place where innovators flourish, consistently high standards are set, and a highly trained work force provides a foundation for business success. The Tennessee Quality program encourages companies to strive for the highest level of productivity through quality management practices."
The Tennessee Quality program is patterned after the Baldrige National Quality Award, which is recognized as the national standard of excellence for quality and productivity. The Tennessee Quality program is open to businesses and industry as well as governmental agencies and public and private educational institutions.
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