Awards
Throughout the year, the AHA seeks to recognize the outstanding work taking place across America's hospitals and health systems, as well as the women and men helping to lead the field to new heights.
The following awards are sponsored by the AHA.
AHA Leadership Awards
AHA Leadership Awards include the Distinguished Service Award, Award of Honor, Justin Ford Kimball Innovators Award, Board of Trustees Award, and Honorary Life Membership.
AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Awards
AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Awards honor effective, collaborative programs focused on improving community health status.
The American Hospital Association Quest for Quality Prize
The goals of the American Hospital Association Quest for Quality Prize are to raise awareness of the value of a hospital-wide/system-wide commitment to advancing health in America by providing access to exceptional quality, safe, and patient- and family-centered and affordable care that promotes individual and community well-being and adds value to lives; showcase successful efforts to develop and promote new and innovative models of care, services and collaboration to provide seamless care; inspire hospitals and systems to lead and partner with other community organizations to improve health status and address health care disparities; and recognize hospital and system leadership to improve efficiency and effectiveness of care.
Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award
The AHA’s Equity of Care Award is presented annually to hospitals or care systems that are noteworthy leaders and examples to the field in the area of equitable care. Honorees demonstrate a high level of success in reducing health care disparities and promote diversity in leadership and staff within their organization.
Circle of Life Award
The Circle of Life Award honors innovative programs in palliative and end-of-life care. All organizations or groups in the United States that provide palliative and/or end-of-life care are eligible for the award.
Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service
The winners and finalists of the Foster G. McGaw Prize collectively paint a picture of creative, insightful, caring health delivery organizations that are exceptionally committed to improving the health and well-being of everyone in their communities. The Baxter International Foundation and the AHA sponsor the Foster G. McGaw Prize.
The Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award
The Rural Hospital Leadership Team Award recognizes small or rural hospital chief executives and administrators who have achieved improvements in local health delivery and health status through their leadership and direction.
AHA Innovation Challenge
The AHA Innovation Challenge is an annual competition aimed at accelerating health care innovation. Each year selects a new topic for submissions. Previous topics include the social determinants of health and behavioral health. The top three proposals receive $100,000, $25,000 and $15,000, respectively, to help the innovators bring their ideas to life. The challenge is sponsored by First American Healthcare Finance, which works with hospitals and health systems to provide capital financing solutions. Visit the Innovation Challenge webpage for more information.
Federal Health Care Executive Recognition Programs
Federal Health Care Executive Award for Excellence
The Federal Health Care Executive Award for Excellence recognizes a senior federal health care executive (uniformed or non-uniformed career commissioned officer 0-6 level or higher/GS-15 level or higher equivalent) whose leadership in directing and orchestrating innovative achievements has distinguished him/herself by contributing substantially to the mission of the federal health care system in the 18 months from mid-2023 through 2024.
The Federal Health Care Executive Special Achievement Award
The Federal Health Care Executive Special Achievement Award recognizes a federal career health care executive (uniformed or non-uniformed commissioned officer 0-5 level or lower/GS-14 level or lower equivalent) who has distinguished him/herself through a singular significant achievement or multiple sustained achievements that have enhanced the organization’s mission and/or contributed to the improvement of the federal health care system in the 18 months from mid-2023 through 2024.