11th Annual ISMP Cheers Awards Tuesday, December 09, 2008 in Orlando, FL

ISMP accepts nominations for this prestigious award in the following categories:
(See nomination process below before submitting a nomination)

• Individuals or Small Groups
• Healthcare Organizations (Please choose 1 of the 2 options when nominating)
  • Hospitals and Healthcare Organizations
  • Subscriber Award
• Professional Organizations or Group Collaboratives

In addition to the above categories, ISMP can select a variety of other individuals or groups each year to receive an ISMP CHEERS AWARD. These internal nominations are based on a demonstrated commitment of the nominee(s) to medication safety. Previous award categories have included the Lifetime Achievement Award, Business/Industry and Corporations, Academic Initiatives, and International Individuals and Groups.

Nominations are accepted from 5/7/2008 to midnight 9/12/2008.

Past recipients of the ISMP CHEERS AWARD have:

• Exhibited exceptional efforts to improve patient outcomes and prevent patient harm related to medication use
• Selected safety strategies which:
  • Demonstrate shared accountability¹ in their ongoing medication safety improvement efforts
  • Use high-leverage² safety strategies to reduce harm
  • Are reliable and sustainable over time
• Instituted and operationalized safety improvements over the last consecutive 12 months

ISMP CHEERS AWARD Nomination Process

Please review the following nomination guidelines prior to completing the nomination page below:

1. The current nomination submission period begins 5/7/2008 and ends at midnight, 9/12/2008
2. Self nominations are accepted and encouraged
3. Nomination submissions can be made in only one category per year
4. Nominations from outside the United States are accepted
5. All nominations must be submitted electronically through this website. Click here for instructions on how to submit a nomination electronically.
6. Signed Leadership and Interdisciplinary Commitment declarations (as applicable) must be mailed to ISMP. Declarations must be postmarked no later than the nomination period described above.
7. Nominations will only be accepted in one of the three categories (Individuals or Small Groups; Healthcare Organizations; or Professional Organizations or Group Collaboratives)
8. Nomination submission materials must follow the guidelines as outlined in each respective category
9. The narrative description submitted as part of the nomination must be limited to seven (7) double-spaced pages
10. Supplemental attachments (e.g., Failure Mode and Effects Analysis [FMEA] results, Root Cause Analysis [RCA] findings, internal newsletters, PowerPoint presentations, measurements) that serve to strengthen the nomination are encouraged. Submissions are limited to five (5) supporting documents.
11. Electronic submission of all supplemental attachments/supporting documents is required.

ISMP CHEERS AWARD Selection Process

The following selection process will occur at the end of the submission period:

• An initial review by the ISMP CHEERS AWARD Selection Committee will be performed to determine nomination completeness, accuracy of category selection, and suitability for the award
• The ISMP Board of Trustee’s Nomination and Awards Subcommittee and three external experts (e.g., previous ISMP Lifetime Achievement Award winners or ISMP clinical advisors) will review applications approved by the ISMP award selection committee. Recommendations for award recipients will be presented to the full ISMP Board of Trustees at the designated quarterly meeting
• The ISMP Board of Trustees will vote on the final selections as recommended by the subcommittee
• Nominees will be notified in writing of the Board’s final decision by 10/9/2008

ISMP CHEERS AWARD Ceremony

The ISMP CHEERS AWARD will be presented at the 11th Annual ISMP CHEERS AWARDS (Orlando, FL). ISMP will provide a travel stipend for a representative of each award recipient to attend the award reception and dinner (Click here to registration information).

The Institute also bestows an ISMP Lifetime Achievement Award, which was established in memory of ISMP trustee David P. Vogel, RPh. This special award is presented to an individual whose lifelong commitment has had a major impact in improving patient care through safe medication practices.

¹Shared accountability -- Accountability that is equally shared among all healthcare stakeholders. The effort lies not in performing perfectly, but in identifying safety problems, implementing system-based solutions, and inspiring and embracing a culture of safety. ISMP Medication Safety Alert; August 8, 2001.

²Leverage is a small, well-focused action that can sometimes produce significant, enduring improvements, if applied in the right place. Senge, 5th Discipline, 1990.