SSM St. Joseph has been chosen as a recipient of the Missouri Quality Award (MQA) from the Excellence in Missouri Foundation. The award was presented November 17, 2005 at the Excellence in Missouri Foundation Conference at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach . The award was given jointly to SSM St. Joseph Health Center in St. Charles , SSM St. Joseph Medical Park in St. Peters , and SSM St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake Saint Louis .

The MQA is recognized as one of the strongest state-level quality award programs in the country, and is the official state recognition for excellence in quality leadership. SSM St. Joseph facilities were chosen for the award based on outstanding clinical outcomes, as well as satisfaction of patients, staff and physicians.

In May, SSM St. Joseph administrators submitted a 50-page application for the award that detailed leadership, strategic planning and customer focus. The three facilities were chosen for a site visit and, in September, received a two-and-one-half day visit by six MQA examiners. The examiners met with numerous staff at each facility, including front-line workers, managers, administrators and physicians to determine the depth of quality and excellence at the facilities. Those involved told of mission, values, principles and quality efforts that make the facilities exceptional.

“Being named a recipient of the Missouri Quality Award is truly the ‘icing on the cake,’" said Administrative Director of Quality Debby Vossenkemper. “It represents and honors the truly exceptional people who are SSM St. Joseph, and shows us that the examiners recognized the high quality of care we provide to those we serve.”

Specific reasons examiners cited in their review of SSM St. Joseph include:   the alignment of the organization’s mission   – “Through Our Exceptional Health Care Services, We Reveal the Healing Presence of God” – with entity, department and individual goals that cascade throughout the organization; the use of CQI, which allows St. Joseph to improve existing processes and build significant change in the organization; and Excellence in Response (30/30), which is a pledge that critical patients will be seen in the St. Joseph emergency departments within 30 seconds and all others will be seen within 30 minutes. This project is now a best practice model for SSM Health Care.

In addition to the SSM St. Joseph facilities, the SSM Information Center also received the award this year for the second time.   A Missouri Team Quality Award was also received by SSM Health Care-St. Louis for its blood conservation program.