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AzHHA names the 2026 Quality Award winners

Trophy, stars and confetti

Phoenix, Ariz. (Oct. 21, 2026) – The Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) announced the winners of the 2026 AzHHA Quality Awards earlier today at a luncheon as part of the 2026 Arizona Hospital Leadership Conference in Tucson.

For the Fourth Annual AzHHA Quality Awards, awards were given for two categories: Outstanding Patient/Community Impact and Workforce Engagement. Within each of these categories, there were four classifications based on hospital size.

“Every day, Arizona’s hospitals are finding new ways to deliver high-quality healthcare, support their healthcare teams and improve the health of their communities,” said Ann-Marie Alameddin, president and CEO of AzHHA. “These award-winning initiatives demonstrate what’s possible when healthcare leaders and their teams turn good ideas into improved outcomes for the people they serve.”

This year’s Top Overall Excellence Award was presented to the Kingman Regional Medical Center for its submission titled “Building a sustainable pre-licensure nurse workforce pipeline.” The submission detailed the LevelUp Nursing Internship Program, developed to address nursing shortages, high registered nurse vacancy rates, turnover and lengthy orientation periods for new graduate nurses. The program created a sustainable pipeline of future nurses by partnering with a workforce development organization and aligning nurse education with early clinical integration.

The 2026 AzHHA Quality Award winners, listed by category, are:

  • Outstanding Patient/Community Impact Award, which recognizes healthcare facilities that have made a direct and measurable difference in patient outcomes in the hospital and community setting. This includes initiatives that reduce hospital-acquired infection rates, lower fall rates, improve maternal and mental health, enhance patient safety and quality, and promote equitable and respectful treatment.
    • 25 beds or less: Sage Memorial Hospital for its submission titled “Inpatient hemodialysis program development and implementation.”
    • 26-100 beds: Valley View Medical Center for its submission titled “Quarterly RQI: Enhancing competency through low-dose, high-frequency learning.”
    • 101-300 beds: Southern Arizona VA Health Care System for its submission titled “Enhancing ICU medication safety.”
    • More than 300 beds: Onvida Health for its submission titled “Reducing blood culture contamination rate.”
  • Workforce Engagement Award, which celebrates healthcare facilities and teams that have achieved outstanding results in clinical workflows, workforce and process improvement. This recognition highlights initiatives that positively influence care delivery, staff engagement and clinical relationships.
    • 25 beds or less: San Carlos Apache Healthcare for its submission titled “Flourishing as a new nurse in rural Arizona: Gozhǫǫ in nursing at Izee֙ Baa Gowąh.”
    • 26-100 beds: Valley View Medical Center for its submission titled “Improving the patient experience: Leader Rounding 2.0.”
    • 101-300 beds: Kingman Regional Medical Center for its submission titled “Building a sustainable pre-licensure nurse workforce pipeline.”
    • More than 300 beds: Northern Arizona Healthcare for its submission titled “Advancing early discharges to improve throughput and patient flow.”

“These award winners represent the best of Arizona healthcare: teams willing to learn, innovate and share what works,” added Alameddin. “Their work improves healthcare across our state and creates opportunities for others to learn from their success.”

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About the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association
AzHHA brings together diverse voices to advance health and healthcare in Arizona. As the champion for healthcare leadership in Arizona, AzHHA and its member hospitals explore ideas and take collaborative action at the state capitol, in hospitals and at home to achieve the best healthcare outcomes for our communities. Above all else, we put people and patients first through better care, better health and lower costs. Visit azhha.org for more information.