WASHINGTON, D.C.-Vice President Dick Cheney and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez presented three U.S. organizations with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest honor for organizational performance excellence. 

The 2006 Baldrige Award recipients are:  Premier Inc., San Diego, service; MESA Products Inc., Tulsa, OK, small business; and North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo, MS, health care.

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Vice President Dick Cheney and Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez presented three U.S. organizations with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest honor for organizational performance excellence. 

The 2006 Baldrige Award recipients are:  Premier Inc., San Diego, service; MESA Products Inc., Tulsa, OK, small business; and North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo, MS, health care. 

“Congratulations to the three newest Baldrige Award recipients. Your commitment to continual quality, innovation and performance excellence has resulted in outstanding accomplishments and results for your organizations,” said Gutierrez. “Now, by sharing your successes and good ideas as a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner, you will be helping other organizations across the nation to also reach the highest standards of excellence.”  

Following a six-month evaluation process, including an on-site visit by a team of examiners, the 2006 Baldrige Award recipients were selected from among 76 applicants. An independent board of examiners evaluated them in seven areas: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; human resource focus; process management; and results.

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, managed by the Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in conjunction with the private sector, promotes and recognizes performance excellence in U.S. organizations, and publicizes these organizations’ successful performance strategies. As a nonregulatory agency, NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve the quality of life.