An independent panel of judges picked three American organizations to once again receive the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which is awarded for excellence in performance.
The 2021 winners, the Charter School of San Diego, Mid-America Transplant and MidwayUSA, are repeat winners, using the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence to consistently improve, the National Institute of Standards and Technology reported March 4.
“These award recipients demonstrate that a sustained commitment to quality management can lead to impressive results,” James Olthoff, undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology, said. “I hope their accomplishments will encourage others to learn more about the Baldrige Program and how it can help them succeed in any industry.”
The business and nonprofit applicants for the award are evaluated in seven areas following the Baldrige Excellence Framework: leadership; strategy; customers; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce; operations; and results.
The Charter School of San Diego provides at-risk students in grades 6-12 free, personalized education. Mid-America Transplant of St. Louis organizes organ transplants and serves as an eye and tissue bank for counties in Missouri, Illinois and Arkansas. Family-owned internet retailer MidwayUSA of Columbia, MO, sells shooting, hunting, fishing and other outdoor products.
More than 1,700 organizations have applied for the award throughout its 34 years, with 124 organizations receiving 137 awards, NIST said.
The Baldrige Award is managed by NIST in cooperation with the private sector.
