MONDAY, AUGUST 6 - 5:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M. - Welcome from Jay Fitch, PhD

ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE - Ava Abney, RN, MSM

For any organization, there are dozens – if not hundreds – of obstacles to achieving performance excellence. Attracting the best people and keeping them motivated. Balancing high-quality patient care with cost. Improving processes and achieving results. The constant pressure of being asked to do more with less. To overcome these obstacles, organizations must set their strategic course toward excellence, and leaders must take a whole systems approach to success.

Ms. Abney, Vice President for Organizational Excellence at Baptist Health Care, will share important insights on how BHC made a dramatic turnaround and earned wide recognition for best practices in healthcare. She will explore seven focus areas essential to achieving excellence.

BHC is widely known as one of the leading healthcare providers in America. For the past six years, it has been listed among the Forbes magazine "100 Best Companies to Work For." BHC received the highest honor given to an American business, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, in 2003. In her previous role, Ms. Abney was responsible for BHC's quality, patient safety and regulatory compliance initiatives. Prior to joining BHC, she served as a commander in the U.S. Navy.

(Immediately followed by reception in the Exhibit Area, sponsored by Excellance, Inc.)