BALTIMORE, Maryland - Established in 1987, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award promotes the adoption of leadership-driven, customer-focused quality management systems to enhance organizational performance and sustainability.
Over the decades, the program has expanded to recognize organizations of all types that achieve excellence across their operations and commit to sharing their best practices to help others improve.
Two U.S. organizations will receive the 2025 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s only presidential honor recognizing performance excellence. The award, based on the Baldrige Excellence Framework and administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, highlights organizations that focus on organizational resilience and demonstrate strong, systematic approaches to achieving and sustaining high performance.
The two winners were Nor Lea Hospital District of Lovington, New Mexico, and Northwell Glen Cove Hospital, of Glen Cove, New York.
In addition to the award recipients, the Baldrige judges identify four organizations for Best Practice Spotlight recognition. These honors recognize exemplary practices demonstrated by award applicants that can serve as role models for other organizations. One of the four winners was Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas Inc., of San Antonio, Texas.
MHM was honored for its approach to enhancing workforce culture through its Thriving Workforce Strategy, improving retention, satisfaction, and engagement, while driving systemic improvements to the work environment and employee benefits.
The other three winners of the Best Practice Spotlight award were Meritus Medical Center, of Hagerstown, Maryland, El Paso County Colorado School District 49 of Peyton, Colorado, and Mary Greeley Medical Center, of Ames, Iowa.
In March 2026, a delegation of MHM team members traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, to attend the Baldrige Award Ceremony, which was held ahead of the 37th annual Quest for Excellence Conference.
Here is MHM’s report on the event:
The roadmap to excellence is shaped by lessons learned and opportunities for improvement; however, it is also a commitment from team members across Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. (MHM). To transform its internal culture and strengthen the level of care and partnerships in the communities it serves and walks alongside, MHM began exploring the Baldrige Excellence Framework.
Over the years, MHM has created policies, processes, and procedures, sharpening its focus on continuous improvement. This intentional approach led to significant milestones in the organization’s excellence journey, including submitting an application for the 2025 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award—the nation’s only presidential honor recognizing performance excellence. MHM received the prestigious recognition as a 2025 finalist and was one of only six organizations across the country to advance to the awards’ final phase and receive a Best Practice Spotlight for its Thriving Workforce.
In March 2026, a delegation of MHM team members traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, to attend the Baldrige Award Ceremony, which was held ahead of the 37th annual Quest for Excellence Conference. Team members attended various sessions during the three-day convening, learning and engaging with other Baldrige recipients. The conference also provided an opportunity for MHM to share its story of excellence on a national stage.
Officials with the Baldrige Foundation, the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) presided over the award ceremony and presented the six organizations with their respective awards and recognitions. Representing MHM on stage was Oanh Maroney‑Omitade, Senior Vice President of Organizational Excellence. “When I stop and think about all the things we have done over just the past five years, it’s been phenomenal, and it has helped us become better as an organization,” she said.
Maroney‑Omitade believes embracing change has strengthened the organization’s mission of Serving Humanity to Honor God. “We have to decide if we are going to let change happen to us or if we are going to manage change in ways that help us be successful as an organization and accomplish our mission, which is about our patients.” Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO of MHM, credits team members across the organization for forging a path toward excellence. “Together, we have built a stronger culture that continues to elevate how we work, lead, and serve. At MHM, our commitment to excellence is more than just high standards; it is embracing our responsibility to serve the least served with integrity, compassion, and lasting impact.”
The conference opened with keynote remarks from speaker Molly Baldrige, daughter of Malcolm “Mac” Baldrige, for whom the award is named. He was known for his dedication to and advocacy for American industry, trade efficiency, and global competitiveness during his tenure as the 26th U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Courage, humility, and discipline were described as hallmarks of his character—virtues which shape modern‑day approaches to leadership and excellence.
Various sessions were held throughout the conference, including panel discussions presented by MHM leaders and staff. Jennifer Knoulton, Vice President of Community Health & Wellness, and Jessica Muñoz, Vice President of Communications, led the Serving Diverse Customers & Markets session. MHM team members, Melanie Call, Community Investments Manager; Lorraine Hernandez, Director of Patient Services; and Matt Leonard, Director of Communications, served as panelists.
The discussion highlighted how MHM refined its key processes to provide exceptional integrated and patient-centered care, elevate customer voice, and build trusted relationships. “People were interested in our model of working with uninsured and underinsured populations; they recognize that it is a huge need. The way we work with the broad definition of healthcare, moving across different sectors, is essential for organizations to think about,” said Knoulton.
Muñoz emphasizes the importance of improvement and believes communities benefit when organizations can learn from one another. “This is about us sharing what we’ve learned in the markets that we serve and then drawing inspiration from what other people have learned so that we can continue to get better.” She said listening and partnering with communities is critical to creating processes that work. “We don’t ever want to think we have the right answer; we want it validated by the people who live there and who are experiencing the access to care that we are trying to create.”
Maroney‑Omitade and Bridget Lamme, Vice President of Human Resources at MHM, led the Developing a Thriving Workforce session. Panelists included MHM team members, Mike Cervera, Director of Human Resources; Sophia London, Community Health Worker Manager; and Melody Swisher, Director of Organizational Learning and Development. The session focused on MHM’s practices and model for workforce engagement, which led to a Baldrige Best Practice Spotlight. Lamme shared why it is important to take care of the workforce that takes care of the work. “There are so many things that we are doing in our strategy; you’re going to need staff that are thriving to be able to do that work. You start with the staff, and it carries out into the community.”
The conference concluded with a Q&A that featured the 2025 Award Recipients and Best Practice Spotlight Organizations. Maroney‑Omitade sat down to reflect on MHM’s journey to Baldrige, which had been years in the making. She said that by creating a capacity for excellence and organizational alignment, MHM reached numerous milestones and gained invaluable lessons, leading to national recognition. “We’ve moved along this process together, and we’ve learned as we’ve gone, and there have been wins along the way.”
The MHM delegation departed Baltimore with a new perspective on their work and approach to excellence. Niebla Marcela Alba, RDH, Dental Hygienist at the Dixon Health & Wellness Center, and Alexandra Quintero, Dental Assistant at the Wesley Health & Wellness Center, were part of the team that attended the conference.
“Overall, attending the conference left me feeling motivated and better equipped to pursue meaningful improvements. It reinforced the idea that excellence isn’t a destination, but an ongoing process that requires commitment, adaptability, and a willingness to learn,” said Alba. Quintero shared, “I felt deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from and witness the journeys of other organizations striving for excellence. It is a source of empowerment to realize that I am part of our own path toward creating a similar framework.”
Maroney‑Omitade said she is grateful that team members were able to hear and learn from others during their time in Baltimore. She believes it is the lessons they take back that will lead to more change. “We don’t have to go back and move mountains every day; it’s incremental growth, and collectively, if we are all on that journey for improvement, that incremental growth is significant.”
Established in 1987, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award promotes the adoption of leadership-driven, customer-focused quality management systems to enhance organizational performance and sustainability. Over the decades, the program has expanded to recognize organizations of all types that achieve excellence across their operations and commit to sharing their best practices to help others improve. NIST renewed the program in 2024 to focus on identifying and recognizing organizations that are role models of resilience and long-term success.
NIST administers the Baldrige Award in partnership with the private sector, particularly the Alliance for Performance Excellence and the Baldrige Foundation, nonprofit organizations. Beginning with the 2026 awards cycle, the Alliance for Performance Excellence will be taking on the management and operations for the awards process from application through examination and awardee selection. NIST and the Department of Commerce will maintain ultimate responsibility and oversight for the Baldrige Excellence Framework, the Baldrige Award, and other requirements codified in U.S. law.
Awardees are recommended by an independent panel of judges following a comprehensive review conducted by the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program’s Board of Examiners, an all-volunteer group of experts from across the nation. The examination process evaluates performance across eight key areas: leadership and governance, strategy, customers and markets, workforce, operations, organizational learning, community relationships, and finance.
Award recipients and best practice organizations will share their insights and proven practices during the 37th Quest for Excellence® conference on March 29, 2026, in Baltimore, Maryland, continuing the Baldrige Program’s mission of learning, collaboration, and national improvement.
