Southcentral Foundation

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), today allocated more than $1.5 billion in FY25 continuation funding awards for the State Opioid Response (SOR) and Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) grants. This funding provides critical resources to states and Tribal communities to address the overdose crisis through prevention, opioid overdose reversal medications, treatment (including medications for opioid use disorder, or MOUD), and recovery support. "America’s addiction and overdose crises are tearing apart families and communities, and meeting this challenge requires honesty, courage, and bold action," said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr . "We are putting power back in the hands of states and Tribes to build solutions that reflect their people and their traditions. This investment is about saving lives, restoring hope, and making our communities whole again." "With the rise of polysubstance abuse and increasing role of stimulants in overdose deaths, it has never been more important to comprehensively address the disease of addiction and the root drivers of this crisis," said SAMHSA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Dr. Art Kleinschmidt . "State and Tribal Opioid Response funding provides critical resources to help prevent addiction, provide evidence-based treatment, and support long-term recovery and sobriety." The allocations include $1.48 billion for State Opioid Response and nearly $63 million for Tribal Opioid Response. Since the SOR program began in 2018, states report that nearly 1.3 million people have received treatment services, including more than 650,000 who received MOUD. Through the SOR program, nearly 1.5 million people have received recovery support services. SAMHSA grantees reported distributing more than 10 million opioid overdose reversal kits, with opioid overdose reversal medications being used to reverse more than 550,000 overdoses. Since the TOR program began in 2018, Tribes report that approximately 16,500 patients have received treatment services, and SAMHSA grantees reported distributing more than 116,500 naloxone kits, with opioid reversal medications being used to reverse more than 1,750 overdoses. Opioid response grant successes are most evident in qualitative improvements in the lives of participants. At the six-month follow-up, most individuals served through SOR funding reported improved housing stability, social connectedness, health, and employment and education achievement, as well as increased abstinence from alcohol or drug use. For most participants, mental health outcomes also improved, with clients reporting less depression, less anxiety, better behavioral control, and fewer suicide attempts. Preventing substance misuse, expanding access to treatment, and supporting long-term recovery are key pillars of SAMHSA’s newly released Strategic Priorities . These priorities are foundational to achieving the Administration’s Make America Healthy Again goals. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org . To locate a treatment facility or provider, visit FindTreatment.gov . Table of State Opioid Response (SOR) Awards Grantee 2025 Award Alaska State Dept of Health and Social Services $5,991,536 Alabama State Dept of Mental Health $16,181,718 Arkansas Division of Aging Adult and Behavioral Health $10,651,261 American Samoa Department of Health $500,000 Arizona Health Care Cost Containment Systems $34,800,088 California State Dept/Health Care Services $105,677,209 Colorado State Dept of Human Services $20,805,885 Connecticut State Dept of Mental Health/Addiction Services $15,027,053 D.C. Department of Behavioral Health $25,166,719 Delaware Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health $38,808,934 Florida State Department of Children and Families $104,294,533 FSM Dept Of Health and Social Affairs – Micronesia $500,000 Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities $28,959,806 Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center $500,000 Hawaii State Department of Health – Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division $4,000,000 Iowa State Dept of Public Health $8,965,676 Idaho State Dept of Health and Welfare $7,835,129 Illinois State Department of Human Services $36,714,994 Indiana Family & Social Services Admin $30,274,611 Kansas State Department for Aging and Disability Services $8,326,259 Kentucky State Cabinet/Health/Family Services $37,220,314 Louisiana State Office of Behavioral Health $18,001,460 Massachusetts State Dept of Public Health $59,526,835 Maryland State Department of Health $53,151,656 Maine State Dept of Health and Human Services $9,794,198 Michigan State Department of Health and Human Services $36,376,429 Minnesota State Department of Human Services $11,297,261 Missouri State Dept of Mental Health $26,347,627 Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation $500,000 Mississippi State Department of Mental Health $7,099,537 Montana State Dept of Public Health & Human Services $4,344,020 North Carolina State Dept of Health & Human Services $36,616,919 North Dakota State Department of Human Services $4,000,000 Nebraska State Dept of Health & Human Services $4,589,908 New Hampshire State Dept of Health Statistics/Data Management $29,890,890 New Jersey State Department of Human Services $68,788,243 New Mexico State Department of Human Services $11,790,310 Nevada Department of Health and Human Services $16,634,894 New York State of Alcoholism/Substance Abuse $56,135,494 Ohio State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services $100,226,750 Oklahoma Dept Of Mental Health/Substance Abuse $15,800,749 Oregon Health Authority Directors Office Financial Services $15,276,923 Pennsylvania State Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs $83,151,776 Puerto Rico Department of Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration $12,537,000 Republic Of Palau Ministry of Health $500,000 Rhode Island Dept of Behavioral Healthcare/Developmental Disabilities $11,363,011 South Carolina State Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services $18,798,164 South Dakota State Department of Social Services $4,070,272 Tennessee State Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services $31,360,290 Texas Health and Human Services Commission $52,101,635 Utah Department of Health and Human Services $10,702,155 Virginia State Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services $27,341,874 Virgin Islands Department of Health $500,000 Vermont State Agency of Human Services $5,991,536 Washington Health Care Authority $27,125,699 Wisconsin Department of Health Services $17,790,145 West Virginia Dept of Human Services $45,774,615 Wyoming State Department of Health $4,000,000 TOTAL $1,480,500,000 Table of Tribal Opioid Response (TOR) Awards Grantee 2025 Award Absentee Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma $886,015 Ahtna' T'Aene Nene' D/B/A Copper River Native Association $238,563 Akiachak Native Community $250,000 Akiak Native Community $249,999 Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board $1,476,692 Aleutian-Pribilof Island Association $295,338 Aroostook Micmac Council $250,000 Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians $157,827 Bay Mills Indian Community $250,000 Black Feet Tribe $502,075 California Rural Indian Health Board $502,075 Catawba Indian Nation $250,000 Chapa-De Indian Health Program, Inc. $250,000 Cherokee Indian Hospital Authority $424,613 Cherokee Nation $2,067,369 Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes $502,075 Chickaloon Native Village $295,338 Chickasaw Nation $2,067,369 Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma $2,004,756 Citizen Potawatomi Nation $886,015 Cocopah Indian Tribe $250,000 Comanche Nation $295,338 Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes $250,000 Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation $502,075 Cook Inlet Tribal Council, Inc. $886,015 Delaware Tribe Of Indians $250,000 Eastern Aleutian Tribes, Inc. $250,000 Eastern Shoshone Tribe $295,338 Fairbanks Native Association $250,000 Feather River Tribal Health, Inc. $250,000 Five Sandoval Indian Pueblos, Inc. $250,000 Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe $249,979 Forest County Potawatomi Community $250,000 Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes $295,330 Gila River Health Care Corporation $886,015 Great Plains Tribal Chairmen'S Health Board $795,338 Hannahville Indian Community $250,000 Hopi Tribe $295,338 Hualapai Tribal Council $249,999 Indian Health Council, Inc. $250,000 Iowa Tribe Of Oklahoma, Inc. $250,000 Karuk Tribe $295,338 Kawerak, Inc. $250,000 Keetoowah Economic Development Authority $295,338 Kenaitze Indian Tribe $250,000 Ketchikan Indian Corporation $244,071 Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (Inc) $295,338 Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas $250,000 Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma $295,338 K'Ima:W Medical Center $295,338 Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma $295,338 Knik Tribe $283,359 Kodiak Area Native Association $295,338 Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Govern/Board $291,089 Lummi Indian Business Council $250,000 Maniilaq Health Center $250,000 Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation $249,993 Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe $250,000 Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians $249,938 Mathiesen Memorial Health Clinic $250,000 Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe $191,367 Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians $425,000 Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma $250,000 Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut $250,000 Mount Sanford Tribal Consortium $249,998 Muscogee Creek Nation $886,015 Nambe Pueblo Governor's Office $295,338 Native Village of Goodnews Bay $249,999 Navajo Nation Tribal Government $2,067,369 Ninilchik Village $295,338 Nooksack Indian Tribe $250,000 Northern Arapaho Tribe $295,338 Northern Cheyenne Tribe $294,458 Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board $9,044,061 Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi $250,000 Oglala Lakota Division of Behavioral Health $750,000 Ohkay Owingeh $250,000 Oneida Tribe Of Wisconsin $425,000 Osage Nation Si-Si A-Pe-Txa $295,338 Pala Band of Mission Indians $246,720 Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma $250,000 Peoria Tribe Of Indians of Oklahoma $250,000 Pleasant Point Indian Reservation $250,000 Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma $250,000 Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation $249,927 Pueblo of Pojoaque $250,000 Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma $250,000 Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians $250,000 Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians $250,000 Reno-Sparks Indian Colony $295,338 Riverside-San Bernardino County Ind Health $425,000 Rocky Boy Health Board $295,077 Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council $849,745 Rosebud Sioux Tribe $424,677 Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe $250,000 Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska $194,672 Santo Domingo Tribe $292,426 Sault Sainte Marie Tribe/Chippewa Indian $425,000 Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians $118,108 Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, The $295,337 Seminole Tribe of Florida $250,000 Seneca Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma $250,000 Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians $250,000 Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation of Idaho $295,338 Shoshone-Paiute Tribes $249,876 Sierra Tribal Consortium, Inc. $250,000 Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate $295,338 Sokaogan Chippewa Community $294,990 Southcentral Foundation $886,015 Southeast Alaska Reg Hlth Consortium $502,075 Southern Indian Health Council $249,998 Southern Plains Tribal Health Board Foundation $886,015 Southern Ute Indian Tribe $249,993 Spirit Lake Tribe $250,000 St Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin $295,338 Standing Rock Sioux Tribe $295,338 Stockbridge-Munsee Community $293,557 Susanville Indian Rancheria $250,000 Tanana Chiefs Conference, Inc. $502,075 Taos, Pueblo Of $250,000 The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Indians $295,338 Tohono O'Odham Nation $502,075 Tolowa Dee-Ni Nation $250,000 Tule River Indian Health Center, Inc. $250,000 Tunica-Biloxi Indians of Louisiana $250,000 Tuolumne Me Wuk Indian Health Center, Inc. $229,036 Turtle Mountain Tribe $425,000 Two Feathers Native American Families Services $295,338 United Indian Health Services, Inc. $501,908 Viejas Band Of Kumeyaay Indians $250,000 Village Of Alakanuk $250,000 Wabanaki Health And Wellness $295,338 Washoe Tribe Of Nevada And California $250,000 Wichita & Affiliated Tribes $295,338 Winnebago Tribe Of Nebraska $250,000 Wyandotte Nation $250,000 Yavapai Apache Nation $250,000 Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation $749,999 Yurok Tribe $295,338 TOTAL $63,000,000 Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. 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CHICAGO, May 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the leading authority on children's oral health, installed new board officers and trustees during the AAPD 2023 General Assembly meeting on May 29 in Orlando. Scott W. Cashion PRESIDENT Dr. Scott Cashion is a 1994 graduate of the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry and finished his Residency and Masters in Pediatric Dentistry there in 1997. He is a board-certified pediatric dentist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. After 22 years in private practice in Greensboro, N.C., he sold his practice and joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina Adams School of Dentistry, Division of Pediatric and Public Health as an associate professor. Cashion has served as a leader with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). He currently serves as the Vice President of the AAPD. In addition, he serves as the chair of the Pediatric Medicaid/CHIP Advisory committee and is Immediate Past President of the Medicaid/Medicare/CHIP Dental Services Association (MSDA). Cashion served on the Board of Trustees of the AAPD (2008-2011) and was Parliamentarian (2012-2013). In May of 2013 he was awarded the Merle C. Hunter Award for Leadership in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Cashion currently serves as an ADA Delegate for the NC Delegation and has been a Delegate or Alternate Delegate since 2009. Cashion is a past president of the North Carolina Dental Society Foundation and current president of the North Carolina Services for Dentistry. In 2018, he completed his service on the ADA Council on Advocacy for Access and Prevention (CAAP, formerly CAPIR). Cashion is past president of the North Carolina Dental Society (2015). He previously served on the Board of Trustees of the North Carolina Dental Society. Cashion is a member of the Guilford County Dental Society and served as president in 2005-2006. He was president of the North Carolina Third District Dental Society in 2004. Cashion was awarded the North Carolina Dental Society's Commendation Award in 2007. He is a fellow in the International College of Dentists, American College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Cashion is involved in the Greensboro Community and served on the Board of Habitat for Humanity, is active in his church and is a member of the Greensboro Sports Council. He is an avid runner and has ran three marathons. Scott D. Smith PRESIDENT-ELECT Dr. Scott D. Smith received his D.D.S. from the University of Michigan in 1986, and his M.S. in pediatric dentistry in 1988.Upon completion of his Graduate and Post-Graduate studies at the University of Michigan, Smith and his wife Debbie moved to Denver, Colo., to establish a private practice. He currently has offices in Denver and Centennial, Colo. In addition to private practice, he is an Adjunct Assistant Clinical Instructor at both the University of Colorado and at the University of Michigan, traveling back to Ann Arbor monthly. Soon after arriving in Denver, he became involved in the Colorado Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Metro Denver Dental Society, holding multiple offices with each group. In addition to being a founding member of the Rose Medical Center Cleft Lip and Palate/Craniofacial Anomalies Team, Smith has contributed to the Bright Futures Program with the American Academy of Pediatrics. In 1996, Smith was appointed by the Governor of Colorado to the Colorado State Board of Dental Examiners and served as President of the Board from 2000–2004. During his tenure on the State Board he also served as an examiner for the Central Regional Dental Testing Service. As a member of the AAPD, Smith has served on multiple Councils and Committees including Chair of Annual Session Local Arrangements Denver 2001, Council on Clinical Affairs Committee on Adolescent Health and the Council on Continuing Education. In June of 2017, he completed a three-year term on the AAPD Board of Trustees. In addition to Council and Committee Work, Smith has participated in the Leadership Institute at Kellogg and both cohorts of the Advanced Leadership Institute at Wharton. Outside of his involvement in the AAPD, Dr. & Mrs. Smith enjoy an active Colorado lifestyle that includes skiing, cycling and fly fishing. Additionally, Smith plays ice hockey in an Adult Hockey League. Thomas G. Ison VICE PRESIDENT Dr. Thomas G. Ison is owner of a private practice in Newburgh, Ind. He received his dental degree and certificate in pediatric dentistry from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and Chandler Medical Center in Lexington, Ky., and completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Dentistry at Indiana University School of Dentistry. He previously held appointments as an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and Chief of Dentistry at Norton Children's Hospital, in Louisville. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Currently the Parliamentarian of the AAPD, he has served as a consultant to the AAPD Council of Clinical Affairs, and as District III (now Southeastern) Trustee. While Trustee, he was on the Strategic Planning Committee and was liaison to the Council on Dental Benefits and AAPD PAC. He is a Past President of the Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry and Kentucky Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Ison has been an examiner for the ABPD Oral Clinical Exam as well as committee member and part leader for the Renewal of Certification Examination. He resides in Evansville, Ind., with his wife, Connie, and daughter, Maggie. Carlos A. Bertot SECRETARY-TREASURER Dr. Carlos "Charlie" Bertot received his dental degree from the University of Florida, College of Dentistry, and his certificate in pediatric dentistry from the University of Kentucky, Albert B. Chandler Medical Center. He became a Diplomate of the ABPD in 1996 and has been involved with organized dentistry since his days in dental school. In addition to his membership and service to multiple dental organizations, he is a past-president of the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and has served AAPD at the council/committee and board level. A past Parliamentarian for AAPD and current Southeastern District Trustee, Bertot is the managing partner of a busy pediatric dental practice in Maitland, Fla., a suburb of Orlando. Bertot is a graduate of the AAPD Leadership Institute at the Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University and the AAPD Advanced Leadership Institute at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Together with his wife of 31 years, he enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and staying fit. Bertot is most proud of his three children. His son is currently an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery resident. His oldest daughter is a third-year medical student, and his youngest daughter is a college senior planning for a master's degree in psychology. Anthea Mazzawi AT LARGE/FEDERAL SERVICES TRUSTEE Dr. Anthea Mazzawi is a board-certified pediatric dentist who has practiced dentistry for almost 20 years. Raised along the gulf coast of Florida, she earned a B.S. degree in Developmental Biology from Florida State University and a D.M.D. degree from the University of Florida College of Dentistry. She then completed a residency in pediatric dentistry at the Medical University of South Carolina. She is currently in private practice with her husband, Dr. Miles Mazzawi, who is also a pediatric dentist. Their practice, Cherokee Children's Dentistry, has been serving the needs of children in the greater Atlanta area since 2007. Mazzawi is passionate about working with children and serving as an advocate for all child related issues. Mazzawi has been heavily involved with the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and organized dentistry throughout her career. She served as the president of The College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry in 2018 and has also been a part of several committees and councils for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Currently, she is the chair of the Scientific Program Committee for the Annual Session. She also serves chairman of the Greater Atlanta Dental Foundation Gala Committee (an event that raises funds to meet the needs of several free/reduced fee clinics in Atlanta), and the secretary for the GA Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Mazzawi is excited to serve as a trustee on the board of trustees for the AAPD. She looks forward to working with her colleagues, specifically the federal service membership, to promote for our profession and advance optimal oral health for all children. Steven K. Rayes ABPD DIRECTOR Dr. Steve K. Rayes graduated from Indiana State University with a major in Biology and minors in Business Administration and French. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and graduated as a general dentist. This was followed by a one year GPR (general practice residency) program that was completed through the Louisville VA medical center. To enroll in a loan repayment program with the Indian Health Service/US Public Health Service (IHS/PHS), Rayes applied to serve in the remote areas of Alaska. He was stationed in Dillingham, Alaska, followed by Kodiak, Alaska. After eight years of service as a General Dentist to the Alaska Native community and particularly the children in need, Rayes found his passion for pediatric dentistry. He was offered a full scholarship through the IHS/PHS and was enrolled back at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry for a Master's degree in pediatric dentistry. After graduation, Rayes returned to Anchorage to the Alaska Native Medical Center and Southcentral Foundation, where he worked as a staff pediatric dentist. He was instrumental in the development of a Pediatric Residency Program in which he was a faculty member until 2008, at which time he began as the Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Advanced Training in Pediatric Dentistry through NYU Langone-AK site. He holds a Certificate of Dental Education through the University of the Pacific in San Francisco, Calif. In 2015, Rayes relocated with his family to purchase a private practice in Vermont. He continues in full time private practice while teaching and providing OR services at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Vermont State Dental Society. Ann M. Bynum SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT TRUSTEE Dr. Ann Bynum is originally from Ocala, Fla. She did her undergraduate training at Florida State University. She then attended dental school at the University of Iowa, where she met her husband, Dr. Matt Bynum. She did two further years of training in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. Bynum moved to Greenville, S.C., in 1997 and opened her practice in Simpsonville. She has three children of her own (all boys) and understands and appreciates the arts of pediatric dentistry and parenting. Bynum is a Diplomate and Examiner of the ABPD, a member of the SSPD, the AAPD, and the ADA. She has lectured and written numerous articles on pediatric dentistry, customer service, marketing, leadership, and teamwork over the years. Over the last four years she has added teaching others about tongue ties, sleep and airway. She enjoys spending time with her husband and their three boys, Matthew, Luke, and John. She enjoys working on her practice and travelling. Hakan Koymen NORTHEASTERN DISTRICT TRUSTEE Dr. Hakan Koymen is a board certified pediatric dentist in private practice in Baltimore, Md. He was born in Kalamazoo, Mich., and attended the University of Detroit-Mercy for dental school and University of Maryland for his pediatric dental residency. He has been dental director for the Maryland Healthy Smiles Program (Medicaid) in the State of Maryland for the last 13 years and has always worked hard to provide quality access to care to all children no matter what their background. He also served as the Northeast Trustee for the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry where he continued to serve all the way through his presidency in 2020. More recently, he has been very involved with the Academy being on the Council on Continuing Education, the Scientific Affairs Committee, and a part of Kellogg Leadership Institute VI. He also worked to create the new Mock Oral Board exams that are offered in conjunction with the AAPD Oral Clinical Exam Review Course. He looks to use his previous experience on committees and executive boards to help the Academy continue its pursuit to be the Big Authority on Little Teeth. These appointees will join current members of the AAPD Board of Trustees for the 2023-2024 term. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) is the recognized authority on children's oral health. As advocates for children's oral health, the AAPD promotes evidence-based policies, best practices, and clinical guidelines; educates and informs policymakers, parents and guardians, and other health care professionals; fosters research; and provides continuing professional education for pediatric dentists and general dentists who treat children. Founded in 1947, the AAPD is a not-for-profit professional membership association representing the specialty of pediatric dentistry. Its 11,000 members provide primary care and comprehensive dental specialty treatments for infants, children, adolescents and individuals with special health care needs. For further information, please visit the AAPD website at or the AAPD's consumer website at . SOURCE American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

Sunday, April 2–Wednesday, April 5, 2023 WASHINGTON, D.C., Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Baldrige Foundation President and CEO Al Faber announced that registration has opened for the 34th Quest for Excellence® Conference, Sunday, April 2–Wednesday, April 5, 2023, at the Gaylord National Harbor Resort and Convention Center. You may register today with this link. Continue Reading 34th Quest for Excellence® Conference In 2022, Congress added "Community" as the 7th Category of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards. This is the first expansion of the awards since Health Care and Education were added in 1998 and the Nonprofit category was added in 2005. This new category reflects the continuing evolution and adaptation of the Baldrige Framework and builds upon the success experienced in other sectors of the economy. This year, Quest will shine a light on best practices in innovation and healthy, thriving communities during its Monday and Wednesday plenary sessions. You will learn practical solutions from subject-matter experts to help your organization achieve breakthrough performance and results. Quest will also feature presentations by Baldrige Award-winning health care organizations, including Adventist Health White Memorial, GBMC Healthcare, Inc., Mary Greeley Medical Center, Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, and Southcentral Foundation. Learn how these organizations have achieved high performance in the face of today's challenges in the health care sector. Conference Highlights Baldrige Foundation Leadership Awards The Baldrige Foundation's Leadership Awards will be presented during the Foundation Awards Luncheon held as part of the annual Quest for Excellence® on April 4, 2023. There are twenty-five award recipients this year including two recipients of the E. David Spong Lifetime Achievement award which recognizes individuals who have performed truly extraordinary service that has changed the world, and inspired others to do the same. This year's recipients are Lowell C. Kruse, Baldrige Award Recipient CEO and Cofounder of Communities of Excellence 2026, and Richard A. Norling, Baldrige Award Recipient CEO and Cofounder of Communities of Excellence 2026. Keynote Presentation by Donald Berwick The Wednesday plenary session will kick off with a keynote presentation by Donald Berwick, President Emeritus and Senior Fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Former Administrator, Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Dr. Berwick is one of the leading scholars, teachers, and advocates in the world for the continual improvement of health care systems. Monday Innovation Plenary Session The Monday plenary session will kick off with a keynote presentation by Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney. The learning then continues with a plenary session featuring the senior leaders of five former Baldrige Award Recipients who will speak on the topic of innovation in a Ted-talk style format and participate in an interactive panel discussion. Wednesday Communities of Excellence Plenary Session Wednesday morning will feature a session showcasing the Communities of Excellence 2026. Attendees will learn directly from communities that are striving to achieve positive and sustainable results to key areas of community performance such as educational attainment, economic vitality, health, and safety. Attendees will also take advantage of conference sessions and activities including: A welcome reception on Sunday, April 2 that will give attendees the opportunity to network with members of the Baldrige community, including Award recipients, Examiners, Judges, Overseers, Fellows, Foundation members, and Alliance program representatives. An opening keynote presentation by Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney. An innovation plenary session, featuring leaders of five former Baldrige Award Recipients who will speak on the topic of innovation in a Ted-talk style format and participate in an interactive panel discussion. 40 concurrent sessions on Monday and Tuesday will feature former Award recipients and other high-performing organizations of all sectors speaking on relevant topics of interest, such as leadership and social responsibility, workforce issues, and customers and strategy. A closing plenary session showcasing the Communities of Excellence 2026. Baldrige Criteria Pre-Conference Workshops on the afternoon of April 2 for beginner and intermediate users of the Baldrige Criteria. Opportunities to network with and learn from Baldrige recipients, applicants, examiners, Alliance for Performance Excellence program representatives, Communities of Excellence participants, as well as Baldrige experts and practitioners in all sectors. Opportunities to meet the Quest sponsors. Register and Book Your Hotel Room You can register and book your hotel room today through Showcare, the official conference registrar and housing bureau. So, don't delay in reserving your seat. Become a Conference Sponsor Today! Reserve a Sponsorship Today! Contact [email protected] for more information and to keep up to date on developing sponsorship opportunities. Contact For more information about the Quest for Excellence Conference: | 301-975-2036 | [email protected] | #BaldrigeQuest For more information on the Baldrige Foundation Awards, contact: Mark Wayda, 614-600-0432 or [email protected] For questions about Quest Registration and Hotel, contact Showcare: [email protected] | (888) 288-3598 For more information about Quest Sponsorship Opportunities: [email protected] | 614-563-202 Register Today! About The Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, Inc. The Baldrige Foundation was created as the private partner to the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program in 1988. Its mission is to ensure the long-term financial viability of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and to support organizational performance excellence throughout the United States and the world. The Baldrige Program, located at NIST within the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a separate entity and is solely responsible for managing and administering the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. For more information on the Baldrige Award process please visit: . SOURCE Malcolm Baldrige Foundation