MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2007 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Nunnelee, Bryan, Browning, Butler, Chaney, Dearing, Frazier, Gordon, Harden, Jackson (11th), Wilemon
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING NORTH MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER FOR RECEIVING THE 2006 MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD.
WHEREAS, in a November 2006 joint announcement by President George W. Bush and Commerce Secretary Carlos Guiterrez, North Mississippi Medical Center was named as one of the three winners of the 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award; and
WHEREAS, North Mississippi Medical Center officially accepted this nation's highest Presidential honor for organizational performance on March 13, 2007, in the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., wherein a congratulatory speech was made by Vice President Dick Cheney; and
WHEREAS, the 2006 Baldrige Award recipients were selected among 76 applicants; and
WHEREAS, all of the applicants were evaluated rigorously by an independent board of examiners in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement; analysis and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and results; and
WHEREAS, the award is named after the 26th Secretary of Commerce, Malcolm Baldrige, and was established by Congress in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness and performance of United States businesses and expanded in 1998 to include education and health care; and
WHEREAS, since 1988, only 67 organizations have received Baldrige Awards; and
WHEREAS, North Mississippi Medical Center serves 24 rural counties and is the largest rural hospital in the country and is Mississippi's largest community-owned hospital; and
WHEREAS, North Mississippi Medical Center provides a wide array of inpatient, outpatient and emergency services; and
WHEREAS, during 2006, North Mississippi Medical Center provided community services to 156,750 people through free health fairs, screenings, health education and CPR classes and immunization programs held throughout the rural region in churches, shopping centers and other locations; and
WHEREAS, North Mississippi Medical Center's annual charitable donations, charity care, medical cost savings and volunteer services total about $70 Million; and
WHEREAS, North Mississippi Medical Center's mission is "to continuously improve the health of the people of our region"; and
WHEREAS, North Mississippi Medical Center has an outstanding workforce of 3,875 and is lead by a core leadership team consisting of John Heer, North Mississippi Health Services President and Chief Executive Officer; Chuck Stokes, North Mississippi Medical Center President; Ken Davis, M.D., Chief Medical Officer; and Gerald Wages, Executive Vice President for External Affairs; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride and admiration that we recognize this outstanding achievement of North Mississippi Medical Center, whose commitment to excellence and outstanding results in meeting the health needs of the communities it serves, is unsurpassed in the medical community:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend North Mississippi Medical Center for receiving the 2006 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and thank the leaders and employees for their work and dedication to the provision of excellent health care in the communities served, extending the best wishes of the Legislature in these future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to North Mississippi Medical Center and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.