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Kershner QI Award

Bernard A. Kershner champions QI innovation

AAAHC recognizes exemplary QI studies in both the surgical/procedural and primary care settings through an award program, established in 2004 by the AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement. The award was originally called the Innovations in Quality Improvement Award. A few years later, the AAAHC Quality Institute changed the name of the award to the Bernard A. Kershner Innovations in Quality Improvement Award to honor Bernie Kershner, the first Chairman of the AAAHC Institute Board of Trustees.

Bernard Kershner founded one of the first non-physician-owned multispecialty surgery centers and was the first non-physician President of FASA, now known as the Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA). As a medical professional with a drive for excellence and quality, he was quoted as saying that he established procedures for his surgery centers that were “far above what could possibly be required of a health facility to raise the bar for professional competency at every single level of the organization.” We hope to communicate his passion for quality through this award program that we affectionately refer to as “The Bernies.”

Review 2022-23 Kershner QI Award winners and finalists

The 2022-23 winners and finalists were selected by our Expert Panel for their exemplary QI studies. You may view the posters with the 10 components of a QI study for each of these finalists.

Surgical/Procedural Winner

  • “Teammate Satisfaction” submitted by Texas Health Surgery Center Arlington Download Poster

Surgical/Procedural Finalists

  • “Intra-operative Sedation Change” submitted by West Michigan Surgery Center Download Poster
  • “Early Identification of Patients with Known Diagnosis of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia, Leading to Decrease in Emergency Department Admissions Postoperatively Due to Urinary Retention” submitted by Spine Surgery Center of Eugene Download Poster

Primary Care Winner

  • “Increasing Effective Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Screening and Testing for Patients at a University Health Center” submitted by University Health Services Princeton University Download Poster

Primary Care Finalists

  • “Silver Diamine Fluoride QI Study” submitted by Albuquerque Indian Health Service Dental Clinic Download Poster
  • “Suicide Risk Assessment and Documentation for Behavioral Health in Primary Care” submitted by Premise Health Download Poster

Kershner QI Award Winners

AAAHC recognizes exemplary QI studies in both the surgical/procedural and primary care settings through an award program, established in 2004 by the AAAHC Institute for Quality Improvement.