U.S. flag
        An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**
              
              A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
              
              A **lock** (  A locked padlock
) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. https://www.nist.gov/baldrige/mary-greeley-medical-center
  Search NIST
    Search
              Menu

      


Close
    Topics
        All Topics
                                                        Advanced communications
                                                        Artificial intelligence
                                                        Bioscience
                                                        Buildings and construction
                                                        Chemistry
                                                        Climate
                                                        Cybersecurity
                                                        Electronics
                                                        EnergyEnvironment
                                                        Fire
                                                        Forensic science
                                                        Health
                                                        Information technology
                                                        Infrastructure
                                                        Manufacturing
                                                        Materials
                                                        Mathematics and statisticsMetrology
                                                        Nanotechnology
                                                        Neutron research
                                                        Performance excellence
                                                        Physics
                                                        Public safety
                                                        Resilience
                                                        Standards
                                                        Transportation
            Publications
            Labs & Major Programs
        Laboratories
                                Communications Technology Laboratory
                                  Engineering Laboratory
                                  Information Technology Laboratory
                                  Material Measurement Laboratory
                                  Physical Measurement LaboratoryUser Facilities
                                NIST Center for Neutron Research
                                  CNST NanoFab
                                                        Research Test Beds
                                                        Research Projects
                                                        Tools & InstrumentsMajor Programs
                                Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
                                  CHIPS for America Initiative
                                  Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)
                                  Office of Advanced Manufacturing
                                  Special Programs Office
                                  Technology Partnerships Office
            Services & Resources
        Standards and Measurements
                                Calibration Services
                                  Laboratory Accreditation (NVLAP)
                                  Quality System
                                  Standard Reference Materials (SRMs)
                                  Standards.gov
                                  Time Services
                                  Office of Weights and MeasuresSoftware
                                                        Data
                                Chemistry WebBook
                                  National Vulnerability Database
                                  Physical Reference Data
                                  Standard Reference Data (SRD)
                                                        Storefront
                                                        License & PatentsComputer Security Resource Center (CSRC)
                                                        NIST Research Library
            News & Events
        News
                                                        Events
                                                        Blogs
                                                        Feature Stories
                                                        AwardsVideo Gallery
                                                        Image Gallery
                                                        Media Contacts
            About NIST
        About Us
                                Leadership
                                  Organization Structure
                                  Budget & Planning
                                                        Contact Us
                                                        Visit
                                                        Careers
                                Student programsWork with NIST
                                                        History
                                NIST Digital Archives
                                  NIST Museum
                                  NIST and the Nobel
                                                        Educational Resources
 
 Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
    
      
  How Baldrige Works
                            Expand or Collapse
          About Baldrige
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Baldrige Impacts
                                  History
                                                                Expand or Collapse
                      Malcolm Baldrige Biography
                                              How the Baldrige Program Began
                                  Baldrige Process Integrity
                                  Baldrige FAQs
                      Baldrige Director
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Organization Chart
                      Baldrige Community
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Examiners
                                                                Expand or Collapse
                      Examiner Resources
                                  Board of Overseers
                                  Judges Panel
                                  Executive Fellows
                                  Baldrige Foundation
                                  State & Local Baldrige-Based Programs
                                  Baldrige Ambassadors
                                  Communities of Excellence 2026
                                  International Award Programs
                      News/Media Room
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Researchers
          Self-Assessing
                            Expand or Collapse
          Getting Started
                      Baldrige Key Terms
                      Improvement Tools
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Job Quality Toolkit
                                                                Expand or Collapse
                      Recruitment & Hiring
                                              Benefits
                                              Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility
                                              Empowerment & Representation
                                              Job Security & Working Conditions
                                              Organizational Culture
                                              Pay
                                              Skills & Career Advancement
                                              Job Quality Baldrige Style
                                  Foundations for a Successful Business
                                  Are We Making Progress?
                                  Are We Making Progress as Leaders?
                                  easyInsight: Take a First Step Toward a Baldrige Self-Assessment
                                  Are You a Role-Model Leader?
                                  Integrating Baldrige with Other Tools
                      Baldrige by Sector
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Manufacturing
                                                                Expand or Collapse
                      Are You Ready to Address Your Business Challenges and Get National Recognition?
                                  Service
                                  Small Business
                                  Education
                                  Health Care
                                  Nonprofit/Government
          Products & Services
                            Expand or Collapse
          Baldrige Cybersecurity Initiative
                      Baldrige Excellence Framework
                      Baldrige Excellence Builder
                      Baldrige Executive Fellows Program
                      Baldrige Connect
                      Become a Baldrige Examiner
                      Baldrige Examiner Training Experience
                      Shop Baldrige Gear
          Publications
                            Expand or Collapse
          Baldrige Excellence Framework
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Business/Nonprofit
                                  Education
                                  Health Care
                                  Baldrige Excellence Framework Graphics
                      Baldrige Case Study
                      Blogrige
                      Insights on the Road to Performance Excellence
          Conferences
                            Expand or Collapse
          Quest for Excellence Conference
                      Baldrige Fall Conference
                      Baldrige Exhibit Schedule
          Award Recipients
                            Expand or Collapse
          Current Baldrige Recipients
                      Name & Trademark Guidelines
          Baldrige Award
                            Expand or Collapse
          Award Criteria
                      How to Apply
                                              Expand or Collapse
                Application Format
                      Award Cycle Overview
                      Is Your Organization Eligible?
                      Award Process Fees



  Connect with us
      
      TwitterGovDeliveryYoutubeMary Greeley Medical Center

Share
  Facebook
                      Linkedin
                      Twitter
                      Email

Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award**2019 Award Recipient, Health Care**

Mary Greeley Medical Center employees bringing patient into emergency care.Credit:
          
  Mary Greeley Medical Center

Download Printable PDF

**Highest-Ranking Official***
Brian R. Dieter 
President and CEO

Public Affairs Contact

**At time of award*

**For more information**
Steve Sullivan
Director
Marketing and Community Relations
Mary Greeley Medical Center
1111 Duff Avenue
Ames, IA 50010sullivans [at] mgmc.com(sullivans[at]mgmc[dot]com)https://www.mgmc.org

Opened in 1916 and now the largest independent medical center in its primary and secondary markets, Mary Greeley Medical Center (MGMC) is a public, nonprofit, 220-bed hospital offering inpatient, outpatient, emergency department, home health care, and hospice services. The hospital, which was gifted to the city of Ames by a Union Army officer in the Civil War in memory of his beloved wife, provides health care to the residents of a 14-county area in central Iowa. Inpatient and outpatient services support a continuum of care for patients, including surgery, cancer care, cardiac care, diabetes and nutrition care, orthopedics, obstetrics and gynecology, gastroenterology, mental health services, palliative care, home health care, hospice care, rehabilitation, and more.

**Highlights**

MGMC’s health care results are in the CMS top decile, including 30-day readmissions, 30-day mortality for heart attack patients, incidence of preventable blood clots, compliance with sepsis practices, influenza vaccinations, stroke bundle compliance, and outpatient imaging measures.
	Inpatient satisfaction, as measured by HCAHPS, has been at or above top-decile performance since 2016.
	More than 75% of inpatients and outpatients would recommend MGMC to others, representing top-decile or near-top-decile levels.
	In market share, MGMC has been the dominant leader in its primary market overall and for inpatient (43%) and outpatient (48%) care since 2015, in spite of being one quarter to one third the size of two of its closest competitors.Health Care Processes with Results

In many areas, MGMC’s health care results are in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) top decile, including 30-day readmissions, 30-day mortality for heart attack patients, incidence of preventable blood clots, compliance with sepsis practices, influenza vaccinations, stroke bundle compliance, and outpatient imaging measures.
	For many patient care processes related to efficiency and effectiveness, MGMC’s results rank at or near the CMS, “Get with the Guidelines” (an American Hospital Association initiative), and National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators benchmarks. These include results for admission process effectiveness, inpatient rounding, home health timely initiation of care, home health fall risk assessment completed, and hospice diagnosis and treatment process effectiveness.
	By intentional design, those closest to the work are integrally involved in improvement efforts, from daily improvements of individual work to more formal rapid improvement events, and a vast majority of projects are focused on patient care or patient safety. In addition, standard work documents for patient care processes and daily huddles stress operations issues, process improvement, and current performance. Virtually all work process discussions are grounded in understanding and meeting patient expectations.Patient Process with Results

Inpatient satisfaction, as measured by the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), has been at or above top-decile performance since 2016. These sustained, benchmark levels of patient satisfaction in all domains (communication, responsiveness, environment, discharge information, and transitions of care) show MGMC’s success in sharing and emphasizing its “Big Dot” goal of patient engagement.
	More than 75% of inpatients and outpatients would recommend MGMC to others, representing top-decile or near-top-decile levels. In addition, MGMC outperforms local competitors in top-of-mind hospital recall, preferred hospital, and brand power index.
	MGMC outperforms its local competitors and receives scores close to the top decile in inpatient satisfaction, satisfaction with home health care, and satisfaction with hospice care as measured by the National Research Corporation (NRC).
	To serve patients, the entire workforce rallies around the tag line “Doing What’s Right.” For example, following the result of an employee suggestion, MGMC provides patient-centered scheduling: patients are scheduled for needed procedures on an aligned, coordinated schedule, where all necessary procedures and tests are done in a sequence instead of the patient needing to wait for each procedure/test and specialist in turn. This improvement has eliminated a significant amount of delay in patient care and was recognized with an award for patient-centered innovation by the Iowa HealthCare Collaborative.Senior Leadership

As part of the organization’s culture, leaders continually reinforce MGMC’s tag line, “Doing What’s Right.” Reinforcement takes place through the Patient and Family Advisory Council, where patients and families share their views of “what’s right” and learn about and contribute to important changes; in leaders’ visits to patients on care units and to employees in their work environments; through leaders’ participation in improvement events; via the Employee Advisory Committee; and through CEO breakfasts with employees and regular employee updates.
	MGMC’s leaders set the vision (“to be the best”) and values (PRIDE: “People, Respectful, Innovative, Dedicated, Effective”) and ensure that they reflect the requirements of patients and their families. Leaders personally and regularly share the vision and values with the workforce, medical staff, and key suppliers and partners.Financial Results

In market share, MGMC has been the dominant leader in its primary market overall and for inpatient (43%) and outpatient (48%) care since 2015, in spite of being one quarter to one third the size of two of its closest competitors.
	MGMC’s days-cash-on-hand, at more than 650, is three times the Moody’s A2 peer-group level and has increased over five years. MGMC's debt-to-capitalization ratio stands at 0.250, and its operating margin of 4% exceeds the Moody’s A2 peer-group level.
	MGMC has sustained Medicare spending per beneficiary at or close to the CMS top decile for four years; cost per adjusted admission has improved over three years and is consistently below budget. Salary and benefit expenses as a percent of net revenue have remained stable over six years in spite of a tight labor market.People Process with Results

Close to the NRC top decile, 75% of employees agree that they “talk up” the organization as a great place to work, with similar results for patient care and support services staff. Physician engagement ranks in the 86th percentile.
	In a tight labor market, MGMC’s average tenure of staff—at approximately 10 years—ranks in the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration’s top decile, as does the average time to fill vacancies.
	MGMC fosters a just culture with a focus on open communication, high performance, and patient safety; these are emphasized in the onboarding process, rounding, shared decision making, daily huddles, and participation in rapid improvement events.
	About 75% of employees agree that their managers create opportunities for growth, and the number of employees participating in the Rewards for Employee Achievement Program quadrupled over eight years. In addition, 60% of employees report having participated in an improvement project.Strategic Planning

The organization’s mission, vision, and values are the foundation of MGMC’s strategic planning process. The process drives MGMC’s strategic objectives, establishing long- and short-term performance goals and systematically cascading goals throughout the organization through four goals (around serious safety events, employee engagement, patient engagement, and net operating margin).
	Strategic goals are highlighted in each department and unit on huddle boards, and each member of the workforce carries a card outlining aligned personal goals. Employees can routinely speak to their own contributions to one or more of these goals and the associated measures.
	MGMC’s measurement system is fully aligned with its strategic planning. Key performance measures relate to Big Dot goals and their action plans, indicators of excellence, and strategic objectives. Progress is reported to the Board of Trustees each month, and leaders are able to track progress to plan down to the individual employee.Citizenship with Results

MGMC ranks in the top decile on the Iowa Hospital Association’s Board Assessment Survey, and the organization scored 100% on the key governance measures of board certification, fiscal accountability, conflict-of-interest disclosures, accreditation, and compliance with ethical behavior standards. MGMC ensures responsible governance through a highly trained, publicly elected board of trustees.
	As a public organization in a small community, MGMC considers that community its primary stakeholder, anticipating public concerns and mitigating them when necessary. MGMC includes the community in its strategic planning, improvement events, forums, and neighborhood meetings.
	MGMC meets community needs determined through the Community Needs Assessment Survey by underwriting the addition of behavioral health beds and providers; collaborating with key community members to apply successfully for a grant to open a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center; and collaborating with the City of Ames to provide public health services.
	Community financial support through the Mary Greeley Foundation stands at nearly $1.5 million in 2019, an increase of one third since 2014. In addition, MGMC’s scores on the local consumer perception survey of hospital preference are more than quadruple those of its competitors over five years.****Back to Press Release****

****Resources****

Search All Baldrige Award RecipientsBaldrige Award Recipient FAQsAttend Quest for ExcellenceHow Baldrige WorksBaldrige Program Impacts
  Performance excellence, Baldrige award, Baldrige examiners, Baldrige Framework and Criteria and Best practices

    
    Contacts
      
        

Baldrige Customer Service
  baldrige@nist.gov
  (301) 975-2036
  NIST/BPEP 
  100 Bureau Drive, M/S 1020 
  Gaithersburg,
  MD 20899-1020

Created November 6, 2019, Updated March 2, 2020
 HEADQUARTERS
            100 Bureau Drive
              Gaithersburg, MD 20899301-975-2000
            Webmaster | Contact Us | Our Other Offices
        Twitter
            
Facebook
            
LinkedIn
            
Instagram
            
YouTube
            
Giphy
            
RSS Feed
            
Mailing List
                              How are we doing? Feedback

  
  Site Privacy
                      Accessibility
                      Privacy Program
                      Copyrights
                      Vulnerability Disclosure
                      No Fear Act Policy
                      FOIA
                      Environmental Policy
                      Scientific Integrity
                      Information Quality Standards
                      Commerce.gov
                      Science.gov
                      USA.gov
                      Vote.gov