Date

The Honorable First and Last NameThe Honorable First and Last Name

U.S. SenateORU.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20510Washington, DC 20515

Dear Senator Last Name:Dear Representative Last Name:

With the advent of healthcare reform, never has it been more important to improve healthcare quality and reduce costs. I believe a critical answer to this challenge is the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program. Today, I am writing to urge you to reconsider theproposedelimination of all federal funding for the Baldrige program for the fiscal year 2012.

The Baldrige program is one of the greatest opportunities healthcare leaders have to improve the quality outcomes and overall performance of our nation’s healthcare organizations. It is also an outstanding example of a public-private partnership that works.

In 2011, 58 percent of all Baldrige program applications came from healthcare providers. There are more than 300,000 Web visits to the healthcare criteria page each year. Healthcare organizations’ participation in the program has had an immeasurable impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of U.S. healthcare delivery, and I believe the cost savings for Medicare and Medicaid using the Baldrige approach will offset the cost of the program many times over.

While the amount of money needed to fund Baldrige is a small part (less than $10 million) of the overall budget and even a small part of the budget for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (its parent agency), the potential savings are tremendous, both in terms of human lives and system resources. But the promise of improved patient care, efficiency and cost savings can only be achieved with continued federal commitment to the Baldrige program.

Baldrigeis the government’s most visible performance improvement program.The federal funding is only a portion of the total resources contributing to the program’s success. It is the national prestige and a strong sense of patriotism that drives the thousands of volunteers to contribute nearly $40 million in services each year. In fact, an independent study calculated a 207 to 1 rate of return to the economy for every dollar the government invests in Baldrige. Eliminating the federal funding would upset the program’s integrity and the lasting benefits countless organizations and the nation at large have realized.

The positive impact on the American economy far exceeds the underlying cost of the program. Baldrige recipient organizations represent the best of America—models of performance excellence cascading down to thousands of other organizations.The Baldrige Award is much more than an award program. It is an educational program on achieving high performance which reduces costs and increases quality. And while it is a great honor to win the Baldrige Award, it is the journey to quality excellence that is even more important for the numerous organizations that apply.

I respectfully urge you to reconsider including the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program among government program cuts. It is one of the best investments to promote economic growth and enhance the competitiveness, quality and productivity of U.S. organizations.

Thank you for your consideration. Please feel free to contact me if I can provide additional information or be of assistance.

Sincerely,