VA Medical & Regional Office Center Receives Award

The Vermont Council for Quality is pleased to announce that the VA Medical
& Regional Office Center (VAM & ROC) in White River Junction is the
recipient of the 2003 Governor's Award for Performance Excellence.
Governor James Douglas will honor the VA at the Vermont Council for
Quality Annual Recognition and Award Ceremony hosted by Norwich
University, February 18, 2004.
The Governor's Award for Performance
Excellence recognizes organizations in Vermont that successfully achieve
performance excellence within their management and operation. Award
recipients undergo a series of in-depth assessments and evaluations by
Vermont Examiners that analyze productivity and organizational
performance.
"The Governor's Award for Performance Excellence is the highest honor an
organization can receive for its organizational performance," said
Governor Douglas. "During these challenging fiscal times, it is refreshing
to honor a health care organization for taking strides to improve
management and operational effectiveness while working toward the common
goal of ensuring Vermont maintains the health of its veterans and their
families."
"The entire workforce at our main campus in White River Junction and at
our VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Bennington, Colchester,
Littleton, NH and Rutland, deserves credit for this wonderful
recognition," said Gary DeGasta, Director of the VAM & ROC. "Their
dedication and commitment to continually improve quality of the healthcare
and services we provide to Vermont and New Hampshire veterans are
evidenced in the recognition this prestigious award bestows. The
Governor's Award is the hallmark of the White River Junction VA's quality
improvement journey. With the continued involvement and support of our
workforce and our key customers and stakeholders, we remain committed to
improve our systems and processes and to better serve America's Heroes -
our deserving veterans."
The VA Medical & Regional Office Center, White River Junction was
established in 1937. The Medical Center is a 60-bed teaching hospital
affiliated with the Dartmouth Medical School and the University of Vermont
College of Medicine as well as numerous other nursing and allied health
programs. It provides primary and specialty acute care services to nearly
22,000 Vermont and New Hampshire veterans. The Regional Office administers
over $79 million in compensation & pension benefits/service annually to
approximately 9,200 beneficiaries.
The White River Junction VAM & ROC has demonstrated a long-term commitment
to achieving performance excellence in all aspects of the organization.
Through quality-minded leadership, a culture of continuous improvement,
and dedicated staff, who maintain a strong focus on patient satisfaction,
the Center has achieved role model practices and results in the key
categories of the Performance Excellence Criteria, based on the National
Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award.
Founded in 1996, the Vermont Council for Quality is a non-profit that
helps Vermont organizations improve performance and competitiveness. VCQ's
products and services include a comprehensive organizational assessment
that identifies strengths and improvement opportunities and serves as the
foundation for the Vermont Council for Quality Award process. In addition,
VCQ provides continuous improvement education and training, and brokers
improvement-related resources, information, knowledge, and best practices
within and between Vermont organizations.