July 9, 2026 — The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health System in Charleston, S.C., is the 2026 recipient of the AHA Quest for Quality Prize. Advocate Health in Charlotte, N.C.; Connecticut Children’s in Hartford, Conn., and Nicklaus Children’s in Miami have been named finalists. The honorees will receive this prestigious recognition during the AHA’s Leadership Summit in Denver, July 12-14.

The AHA Quest for Quality Prize is presented annually to recognize exceptional health care leadership and innovation in improving quality and advancing health in America’s communities. The AHA Quest for Quality Prize was first awarded in 2002.

“This year’s AHA Quest for Quality honorees demonstrate how a deep commitment to innovations in data-driven safety initiatives can transform care and strengthen communities,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “These hospitals and health systems are leading the way in building cultures where safety and quality are the North Star, setting a powerful example for others across the country.”  

Prize Winner: Ralph H. Johnson VA Health System — Charleston, S.C.  
The Ralph H. Johnson VA Health System is honored for its exceptional commitment to advancing safe, patient-centered care for veterans across coastal South Carolina and Georgia. Serving more than 109,000 veterans, the health system has distinguished itself through visionary leadership, data-driven quality improvement and a deeply embedded culture of safety and innovation. The organization monitors performance across 10 quality domains, enabling leaders and frontline teams to identify trends and rapidly implement targeted improvements. This disciplined approach has produced meaningful clinical gains, including a significant reduction in mental health services wait times — from 24 days to fewer than 10. A commitment to telehealth expansion, secure messaging platforms and coordinated community care ensure patient access regardless of geographic barriers. Ralph H. Johnson VA Health System embraces innovation by using 3D printing to enhance patient care, including printing for prosthetics and medical devices as well as recreating tumors so surgeons can practice operating before surgery.

Finalist: Nicklaus Children’s — Miami 
Nicklaus Children’s Health System operates across South Florida, including 10 primary care centers, 19 outpatient and specialty centers and 10 urgent care centers. The nonprofit system’s “Safety for All” framework builds a culture of psychological safety by creating environments where patients, families, staff and communities are protected from preventable harm and empowered to improve outcomes together. The Safety for All approach is led by cross-functional teams from patient safety, public safety, employee well-being, risk management, employee health, environment of care and emergency management. The program includes a workplace violence prevention initiative that led to an 11% improvement in staff perception of workplace safety in 2024 and an adaptive care program for children with developmental or sensory needs that reduced staff injuries from behavioral events by 63% between 2021 and 2024. Leadership doubled psychiatric bed capacity in 2023, reducing out of system transfers by 90% and lowering emergency department wait times by 26%.

Finalist: Advocate Health — Charlotte, N.C. 
Advocate Health serves a diverse mix of communities across eight states including Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Its 69 nonprofit hospitals and outpatient network span urban centers, suburban neighborhoods and rural regions. The system operates more than 20 rural hospitals and over 320 rural clinics, while the remaining hospitals and clinics are in urban and suburban areas. Advocate Health is deeply engaged with underserved populations, including low-income families, immigrants, students and individuals experiencing homelessness. Through partnerships, mobile care units and school-based programs, it works to meet the unique needs of each community and improve access to care. Advocate Health produces demonstrable improvements in clinical outcomes. Through systemwide collaboration and evidence-based interventions such as sepsis care standardization, the organization achieved a 14% reduction in mortality in two years and significantly improved patient safety ratings. This performance reflects its disciplined use of data, high-reliability practices and continuous learning.

Finalist: Connecticut Children’s — Hartford, Conn. 
Connecticut Children’s is the only health system in the state 100% dedicated to kids, delivering high-quality care in more than 30 pediatric specialties in 38 locations throughout Connecticut, Eastern New York and Western Massachusetts. Connecticut Children’s has undertaken multiple initiatives to ensure access to high-quality, safe, effective and efficient care including patient family advisory councils, pediatric simulations at adult systems, and two-year quality and safety fellowship programs for team members across the organization. The health system’s deeply integrated, proactive community engagement model addresses upstream drivers of health and workforce pipeline challenges in partnership with community stakeholders. Connecticut Children’s 2025 annual plan for setting quality goals featured 30 improvement priorities based on input from frontline team members, clinical and ancillary support positions, quality committee leaders, and Board Quality Improvement Committee members. Its effort to create a culture of continuous improvement has led to a 55% decrease in hospital acquired infections since 2019.

The AHA Quest for Quality Prize is sponsored by Laerdal Medical, a global leader in healthcare simulation. Laerdal partners with hospital organizations to help improve individual clinical skills and team performance through immersive educational experiences. Incorporating Analytic Insight to identify areas of opportunity and identify potential latent patient safety threats, Laerdal works with clinicians across the care continuum.

About the American Hospital Association (AHA)
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of healthcare provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations, our clinician partners — including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers — and the 43,000 healthcare leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for healthcare leaders and is a source of information on healthcare issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.