URAC Launches New Health Care Stars! Awards Program

Accepting Nominations for Heroes in Health Care on May 1, 2009

WASHINGTON, April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — URAC, the leading health care accreditation and education organization, announced its first-ever Health Care Stars! awards program. The awards are designed to recognize health care heroes who made a positive impact in the lives of the consumers they serve. Nominations will be accepted from May 1 – June 15, 2009.

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“We know that often health care professionals do not receive the credit they deserve for the hard work they do, day after day,” said Alan P. Spielman, president and CEO of URAC. “URAC’s Health Care Stars! awards program is designed to recognize these heroes who consistently go above and beyond the call of duty to protect and empower consumers.”

Nominations will be accepted at www.urac.org/stars/ from 9AM EST on May 1, 2009 through 5:00 PM EST on June 15, 2009. Any individual who works for the more than 400 organizations that have earned or are in the process of earning accreditation in any of the 27 URAC accreditation programs is eligible for nomination.

The Health Care Stars! nominations will be judged by a panel of health care industry experts including URAC advisory committee members, board members and key leaders from accredited organizations.

The winners and all nominees will be honored at an awards ceremony during URAC’s 10th Annual Quality Summit and Exhibit scheduled for October 6-8, 2009 in Tucson, AZ. In addition to recognition from their peers, the winners will receive an all expense paid trip to Arizona to receive their award.

Individuals can be nominated in one of two categories:

• Consumer Protection — Demonstrated commitment to patient safety and the welfare of health care consumers. Examples include saving and improving lives and preventing adverse health outcomes.
• Consumer Empowerment — Proven contribution to enhancing consumer decision making and/or consumer health care adherence to appropriate therapy.

“Keeping a human face on health care is important for both consumers and health care professionals,” said Mr. Spielman. “We are looking forward to hearing stories of the great work people are doing in their communities.”

For the complete contest rules or to submit a nomination, go to www.urac.org/stars/.

About URAC

URAC, an independent, nonprofit organization, is well-known as a leader in promoting health care quality through its accreditation, education and measurement programs. URAC offers a wide range of quality benchmarking programs and services that keep pace with the rapid changes in the health care system, and provide a symbol of excellence for organizations to validate their commitment to quality and accountability. Through its broad-based governance structure and an inclusive standards development process, URAC ensures that all stakeholders are represented in establishing meaningful quality measures for the entire health care industry. For more information, visit www.urac.org.

SOURCE URAC