Quality healthcare, education and industry

Work Study

ISSN: 0043-8022

Article publication date: 1 April 1999

70

Citation

(1999), "Quality healthcare, education and industry", Work Study, Vol. 48 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.1999.07948baf.006

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited


Quality healthcare, education and industry

Quality healthcare, education and industry

Education and healthcare organisations will be able to take full advantage of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award this year, as a result of legislation signed into law at the end of 1998 and the passage of the 1999 federal appropriations bill. The Commerce Secretary, William M. Daley, said:

I am delighted that education and healthcare organisations will now be able to be full partners in the Baldrige National Quality Program ... These organisations can now apply for the Baldrige Award and share best practices with schools and healthcare providers around the country.

Non-profit and for-profit education organisations and healthcare providers will be eligible to apply for the new awards. The Baldrige programs will help education and healthcare organisations improve performance, share best practices and foster partnerships involving schools, businesses, healthcare organisations, human services agencies and others, says Harry Hertz, director of the Baldrige National Quality Program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

In 1995, NIST conducted a pilot award program with 46 healthcare and 19 education organisations submitting applications for the pilot. More than 40 state quality award programs are based on the Baldrige Award program and 35 of these recognise education and healthcare organisations.

Recently, New Jersey passed a bill enabling school systems to use the Garden State's Quality Achievement Award criteria, based on the Baldrige criteria, as a substitute for the existing state assessment criteria.

Two large manufacturers of aircraft and industrial gas turbines and a small manufacturer of identification and information labels received the 1998 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in recognition of their achievements in quality and business excellence. The companies were: Boeing Airlift and Tanker Programs, Long Beach, California; Solar Turbines Inc., San Diego, California; and Texas Nameplate Co. Inc., Dallas, Texas.

Named after a former Secretary of Commerce, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness of US businesses by promoting quality awareness, recognising quality and business achievements of US companies, and publicising these companies' successful performance strategies. The award is not given for specific products or services. Since 1988, 34 companies have received the Baldrige Award.

Following are brief descriptions of the 1998 Baldrige Award recipients:

Boeing Airlift and Tanker Programs, known as A&T, designs, manufactures and supports military transport aircraft. One of its major products is the C-17, designed to airlift large, heavy cargo to locations around the world. Based in Long Beach, A&T has 8,700 employees. In addition to other awards, A&T received the California Governor's Golden State Quality Award for management in 1996 and its Macon, GA, facility received the Georgia Governor's Employer of the Year Award in 1998. In addition to California and Georgia, A&T also has sites in St Louis, Seattle, and San Antonio, Texas; as well as at Air Force bases in Oklahoma, California and South Carolina.

Based in San Diego, Solar Turbines designs and manufactures industrial gas turbines for power generation, natural gas compression and pumping systems for sale in the USA and worldwide. Solar Turbines is one of the 50 largest exporters in the USA. A subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., Solar Turbines has 6,200 employees at 15 US sites and in 23 foreign nations. In 1995, Solar Turbines received a "Best in Class" California US Senate Productivity Award in large manufacturing.

Founded in 1946, Texas Nameplate manufactures and sells identification and information labels used on a variety of products, including oil field equipment, truck and trailer vehicles, and electronic and computer equipment. With 66 employees, Texas Nameplate is the smallest company ever to receive the Baldrige Award. The company has two locations in Dallas, Texas. TNC received the Texas Quality Award in 1996.

Further information on the 1998 Baldrige Award winners is available on the Web at: http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/news.htm

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