VON Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement
VON recognizes outstanding dedication to data-driven quality improvement.
About the VON Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement
Vermont Oxford Network began collecting data and distributing reports for participating units’ local quality improvement efforts in 1988. Since that time, the network has grown to a worldwide improvement community and teams have completed countless cycles of quality improvement in newborn care.
We have also honed a Sequence to Achieve Change, which guides teams through using data, implementing sound quality improvement methods, and partnering across disciplines and with parents to create a culture of continuous improvement and achieve lasting change for infants and families.
The annual VON Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement recognizes VON member teams who demonstrate dedication to VON core values of quality improvement: measurement, evidence, families, equity, and collaboration.
Eligibility
The VON Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement is awarded to VON members in good standing who have participated in a VON database for at least one year and are participating in a current VON quality improvement collaborative (NICQ/iNICQ).
Criteria
The VON Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement is awarded to members who meet the following criteria:
- VON Membership
- At least one year of database participation
- Enrollment in the current NICQ or iNICQ collaborative
- Organizational Support
- Previous meeting with senior leadership to review QI project
- Plan for future review of QI project with senior leadership
- Support of QI project from senior leaders
- QI Team
- Improvement team of 4 or more people representing a minimum of 3 disciplines
- Identified VON QI project leader (the VON Champion)
- Regular team meetings (person, virtually, or hybrid)
- At least 4 members of the team completed the VON QI Foundations course
- QI Performance
- Defined at least one SMART Aim for VON QI project
- Use a formal QI method such as the Model for Improvement, Lean or 6 Sigma
- Measured performance over time using annotated run or SPC charts
- Submitted a poster to VON documenting our VON QI work
- Families as Partners
- Parent of an infant cared for in the NICU (who is not a member of the care team) is a working member of the multidisciplinary VON QI team
Application Fee
The 2024 VON Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement nonrefundable application fee of $2,500 is due at time of submission.
Important Dates
To be considered for the 2024 VON Award for Excellence in Quality Improvement, please meet these deadlines:
- Poster Submission: September 3-25, 2024
- Application Submission: September 3 – October 31, 2024
Award recipients will be announced in December 2024.
Benefits
To honor the data-driven, family-centered accomplishments in quality improvement for infants and families, award recipients will receive:
- Recognition on VON website
- Announcements through VON emails and press releases
- Publicity Packet, including:
- Award description
- Web graphic to display on member’s site
- Sample press release
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