The International Hospital Federation (IHF) Awards were launched in 2015 and are recognized around the world as the premier awards program to honor hospitals and healthcare organizations. The winners of the IHF Awards will be presented during a special Awards Ceremony at the 44th IHF World Hospital Congress which will be held on 8th-11th November 2021 in Barcelona, Spain.
The deadline for entries is on 31st July 2021. For inquiries, please send an email to awards@ihf-fih.org. To check if your organization is a Member of the IHF, visit https://www.ihf-fih.org/our-community-of-members/
AWARD CATEGORIES
Each category presents a unique opportunity to showcase outstanding services, programs, and projects of hospitals and health service providers.
The Dr. Kwang Tae Kim Grand Hospital Award is open to IHF Full Members (and their member hospitals or health service providers) and Associate Members. This award will recognize a hospital or health service provider which has demonstrated excellence or outstanding achievements in more than one service, program, or project. The Dr. Kwang Tae Kim Grand Hospital Award will recognize institutions (not individual projects) which excelled in several areas including, but not limited to, quality and patient safety, corporate social responsibility, healthcare leadership and management practices and supporting sustainability initiatives.
In addition, judging consideration will be given to institutions which are nominated by IHF Members and for services, programs and projects having received national or international recognition.
This award is open to IHF Full Members and their member hospitals or health service providers and Associate Members who demonstrate excellence or outstanding achievements in advancing corporate social responsibility. Such achievements include activities which clearly demonstrate a commitment to corporate social responsibility. For example:
- Providing high-quality and affordable healthcare services for all;
- Promoting inclusion and diversity in the workforce;
- Reducing inequalities in healthcare service delivery;
- Advancing universal healthcare in emerging and developing nations;
- Developing innovative and ethical responses to social, climate and environmental issues;
- Harnessing a network of local stakeholders for sustainable and systemic responses to public health concerns.
This award is open to IHF Full Members and their member hospitals or health service providers and Associate Members who demonstrate excellence or outstanding achievements in promoting quality and patient safety. Such achievements can include activities which demonstrate a clear commitment to quality and patient safety across the organization. For example:
- Developing and promoting new or improved services or models of care with quality and patient safety as a core objective;
- Building a workplace culture of patient safety at all organizational levels;
- Enhancing workforce education on the importance of patient engagement and empowerment;
- Improving quality of care for underserved or at risk patient populations;
- Improving the application of quality and patient safety principles to reduce preventable infections, medication and procedural errors, etc.
This award is open to IHF Full Members and their member hospitals or health service providers and Associate Members who demonstrate excellence or outstanding achievements in leadership and management. Such achievements can include activities which clearly demonstrate strong leadership and management in leading a hospital or health service provider. For example:
- Strengthening governance mechanisms, enabling all staff to be well-heard by senior leader teams;
- Creating a culture that fosters clinical and non-clinical staff engagement;
- Achieving major breakthroughs in the innovations of healthcare delivery;
- Successfully driving better patient reported outcomes and patient experience.
This award is open to IHF Full Members and their member hospitals or health service providers and Associate Members who demonstrate excellence or outstanding achievements in promoting “green hospital” initiatives. Such achievements include activities which clearly demonstrate a commitment to environmental sustainability. For example:
- Promoting energy efficiency or savings, CO2 reduction, use of renewable energy for a sustainable environment;
- Creating a safe and secure environment against natural disasters related to climate change;
- Providing an eco-friendly and comfortable environment for patients and staff with innovative or smart technologies;
- Collaborating across architectural design and hospital planning to realize a green and healthy hospital;
- Reducing and safely disposing of medical waste;
- Advocating and supporting the practice of medicine in a sustainable manner.
This award is open to all government, public and private health service delivery organizations who operate in a low-income country (according to the World Bank) and/or operate in a region, territory or country during times of significant crisis (war or natural disaster). The award will recognize excellence or outstanding achievements in delivering health services despite the challenges of their environment.
To qualify for the award:
- The health service organization is located in low-income country according to World Bank and/or in a region, territory or country facing a major crisis (war or natural disaster);
- The organization had experienced or is currently experiencing a crisis that places a significant strain on its operations (including the COVID pandemic);
- The organization developed and implemented a service, program, or project which allowed it to demonstrate excellence or outstanding achievements despite the harsh conditions;
- A significant part of the organization’s service, program or project should be attributed to its “people” and their initiatives to deliver health care despite of the crisis.
ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY RULES:
- All entries must be for services, programs, or projects which have been completed or substantially completed between 1 January 2018 to 30 April 2021 with quantifiable achievements, results and/or outcomes during this timeframe. In addition, projects that were completed before 1 January 2018 can be submitted if the project had evidence of recent results or achievements by 30 April 2021.
- Only hospitals and healthcare service providers (government, public or private) can submit entries. Consultancy companies and vendors representing hospitals or healthcare facilities are NOT eligible to submit entries.
- Each organization is allowed a maximum of two entries per category and can submit for all categories.
- All entries will need the endorsement of the organization’s CEO/President or Chairperson of the Governing Board. Click here to download the template for the endorsement letter.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
- Entries must be submitted through the IHF online submission platform.
- Submitters must choose the category where the service, program, or project will be entered.
- Each category will have a dedicated online entry form which will require submitters to provide basic information about the organization. In addition, there are five questions needing to be answered to provide relevant information about the service, program, or project.
- Submitters can upload up to 5 relevant documents in PDF and word file format. Maximum upload file size is 32MB.
Watch this video for a step-by-step guide on how to submit entries.
JUDGING CRITERIA
Entries will be scored by a panel of experienced global healthcare leaders serving on IHF’s Judging Panels. They will use their vast knowledge of the industry to score each entry on its merits and using the following criteria as guidance:
- Originality or innovativeness of the services, programs and/or projects;
- Intended impact of the project with a special focus on quality, efficiency and health outcomes;
- Adaptability and scalability of the project in the region, the country and to the rest of the world;
- Scientific rigor of the project’s design and outcome measures; and
- Clarity of the presentation.
AWARDS CEREMONY
Winners of the IHF Awards 2021 will be presented with a prestigious plaque during the special Awards Ceremony at the 44th World Hospital Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Gold Winners
Gold Winners of each category will receive complimentary registrations (details below) to attend the Awards Ceremony and the World Hospital Congress in Barcelona. In addition, they will receive funding to support their hospital representatives’ travel and accommodation costs for attending the Congress. Receipt of funding is conditional on attendance at the Congress.
Gold Winners will also have the opportunity to present in a special parallel session at the Congress.
- Dr. Kwang Tae Kim Grand Hospital Award – 3 complimentary registrations + up to 5,000 CHF funding for travel and accommodations
- Austco Excellence Award for Quality and Patient Safety, American College of Healthcare Executives Excellence Award for Leadership and Management, Ashikaga—Nikken Excellence Award for Green Hospitals, Excellence Award for Corporate Social Responsibility – 1 complimentary registration + up to 2,500 CHF funding for travel and accommodations
The Gold Winner of the Sultanate of Oman Excellence Award for Health Services During Crisis will receive 1 complimentary registration and a 10,000 CHF award. Additionally, Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners will each receive up to 2,000 CHF funding for travel and accommodations.
Silver and Bronze Winners
Silver and Bronze Winners of each category will receive one complimentary registration each to attend the Awards Ceremony and the World Hospital Congress in Barcelona. They will also have an opportunity to display a poster in the Congress venue.
COVID-19 Situation
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the travel restrictions in some countries, winners who are unable to attend the Awards Ceremony at the Congress in Barcelona can switch their in-person registrations for virtual tickets. The funding for travel and accommodations will not be given to Gold Winners who cannot attend the in-person Awards Ceremony.
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