2024 Kershner QI Award Submissions

The submissions for the 2024 Bernard A. Kershner Innovations in Quality Improvement Award have now closed. AAAHC encourages accredited organizations to prepare for 2025 submissions by completing Quality Improvement studies utilizing the new 6-component criteria and preparing to submit a study for 2025. You are already doing the work as a AAAHC-accredited organization by submitting documentation of two studies during your Application for Survey. Prepare for next year’s submission today!

2025 study submissions will begin January 6, 2025.

2024 Kershner QI Award Submission Timeline

The process for submission is relatively quick and easy.

1. Last Day to Submit Applications  March 31, 2024 at 11:59 PM CT
2. Expert Panel Final Decisions  June 5, 2024
3. Committee Approval of Finalists  June 12, 2024
4. Calls and email informing top 6 Submissions that they are Kershner Award Finalists (3 Primary Care, 3 Surgical/Procedural)  June 18-20, 2024
5. QI Study Poster Deadline (finalists only)  July 15, 2024
6. “The Road to Success” Webinar featuring the 2024 finalists  September 2024 (TBD)
7. People’s Choice Award Voting Following “The Road to Success” webinar until the December 2024 Achieving Accreditationprogram
8. Announcement of Winners  December 12, 2024 at Achieving Accreditation program

2024 Kershner QI Award Criteria

The AAAHC Institute appointed an Expert Panel to review all submissions. The panel will judge submissions for clarity and conciseness as well as these 10 components as found in the “Tools” section of the v42 AAAHC Handbook*:

1. 1. The issue addressed
   2. The performance goal
   3. Data collected (performance measure[s])
   4. Data collection methodology
   5. Data analyses and conclusions
   6. Comparison of initial performance versus performance goal
   7. The development and implementation of corrective action, and, if necessary, additional corrective action
   8. Re-measurement, and, if necessary, additional re-measurement
   9. New current performance versus performance goal
   10. Methods of communication of the study findings throughout the organization

In addition, the panel reviews all submissions for evidence of innovative thinking, working as a team, and examples that can be used in other ambulatory health care settings or for other ambulatory health care issues. In compliance with HIPAA, no patient identifiers are allowed on the application.

*The 2025 Kershner QI Award criteria will follow the AAAHC 6-Component Criteria as posted in the Quality Institute section of the website (see Quality Resources) or in the 1095 Engage platform.

For the 6 studies (3 Primary Care, 3 Surgical/Procedural) chosen as finalists by the Expert Panel, based on most closely reflecting the criteria above, one representative of each study will receive:

• An honorarium of $500 (limit 1 per organization, 6 in total) for each poster presentation
• Complimentary registration (limit 1 per organization, 6 in total) for one AAAHC Achieving Accreditation program where the winners will be announced
• Publication of the posters in AAAHC newsletters, websites, and educational offerings, such as Achieving Accreditation
• Awards for the organization(s) authoring the best study as selected by the Expert Panel and by peers

Contact the AAAHC Quality Institute at quality@aaahc.org with any questions.

Program void where prohibited.