VA’s Grand Junction Center Wins Presidential Award

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colo., today received the 2001 Presidential Award for Quality, the highest civilian award given to federal employees and agencies. 

The VA facility was chosen from among 20 government-wide finalists to receive the top honor.  Equivalent to the Malcolm Baldrige Award, the Presidential Award for Quality recognizes individuals and organizations for improving customer service through the quality management principles and practices.

“The 300 men and women who staff the Grand Junction VA Medical Center have set the highest standards of quality, not only for VA, but across the government,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi.  “They are tireless advocates for the veterans of Colorado and eastern Utah.”

Among the innovations credited to the Grand Junction facility is the “virtual circle of care,” a program in which a physician, nurse, medical clerk and social worker establish a personal relationship with each veteran.  This “virtual circle of care” meets the physical, mental and spiritual needs of veterans.  It is a model for VA hospitals across the country. 

“The confidence of veterans in high-quality care is a goal every agency in VA strives to achieve,” said Principi.  “Grand Junction operates under leadership that stresses the importance of achieving excellence, building knowledge and stimulating staff to be innovative in meeting all the needs of veterans.”   

The Grand Junction Medical Center provided care to approximately 9,000 veterans, who made nearly 80,000 visits last year.  The facility was recognized by the Bush Administration not only for excellence in health care, but also for its outreach to serve more veterans and improve employee satisfaction.  

Among Grand Junction’s accomplishments cited by the report were:

• Scoring higher than the national VA average in six of eight categories in the National Veterans Affairs Outpatient Survey;  

• Reducing the average number of days to process medical examinations for compensation and pension claims from 32 days in 1998 to 25 days in 2000;  

• Reducing the 1999 cost per patient 12 percent below the national average;  

• Maintaining customer satisfaction, while implementing enhanced medical benefits and experiencing a 22-percent reduction in the number of employees per 1,000 patients from FY 95 to FY 99;

• Reducing employee turnover from 18 percent in FY 97 to 9 percent in FY 2000.

The President’s Quality Award Program is administered by the Office of Personnel Management.  A panel of quality experts and practitioners representing government and the private sector reviews applications.  Case studies of the winners are used as models for other federal agencies.

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