Joint Commission Opens 2026 Award Applications

Joint Commission has opened the application period for the 2026 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards, presented in partnership with the National Quality Forum (NQF), and the 2026 Bernard J. Tyson Award for Pursuit of Healthcare Equity, presented in partnership with Kaiser Permanente.

Recipients of both award programs will be honored at UNIFY, Joint Commission’s annual thought leadership conference. UNIFY 2026 will take place Sept. 30-Oct. 1, 2026, in Washington, D.C.

“At Joint Commission, we believe that progress in healthcare is driven by visionary leaders and organizations committed to advancing patient safety and quality,” said Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, president and CEO, Joint Commission. “We celebrate and seek to elevate and recognize the innovative approaches these organizations take in promoting a culture of safety and performance. We invite all healthcare leaders to share their approaches and the outstanding results those approaches have achieved; in sharing these models for excellence, it inspires others which raises the bar for all.”

Eisenberg Awards

Each year, Joint Commission and NQF recognize major achievements by individuals and organizations to improve patient safety and healthcare quality with the John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Awards, presented in three categories:

• National Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality
• Local Level Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality
• Individual Achievement

Initiatives eligible for the national and local level awards must demonstrate, at minimum, 12 months of data supporting the improvement made by the featured initiative. The Individual Achievement award honors an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and scholarship in patient safety and healthcare quality through a substantive lifetime body of work.

Launched in 2002, the Eisenberg Awards honor the late John M. Eisenberg, MD, MBA, former administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. An impassioned advocate for healthcare quality improvement, Dr. Eisenberg was a founding member of NQF’s board of directors.

Tyson Award

The Bernard J. Tyson Award for Pursuit of Healthcare Equity, presented annually by Joint Commission and Kaiser Permanente, recognizes healthcare organizations and their partners that led initiatives that achieved a measurable, sustained reduction in one or more healthcare disparities.

Healthcare organizations that directly deliver care and have addressed disparities within a population, including but not limited to race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or socioeconomic status, are eligible to apply. Applications must include data demonstrating how the organization improved a specific disparity.

Launched in 2021, the award honors Bernard J. Tyson, the late chairman and chief executive officer of Kaiser Permanente, who worked tirelessly to address healthcare disparities across the U.S. healthcare system.

Applying for the awards

Joint Commission provides several application resources, including application criteria and tips for each award. These resources can be accessed on the Eisenberg Awards and Tyson Award webpages.

The application period for both awards closes March 9, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. CT. There is no cost to apply for either award.

Applicants looking to apply for more than one award must complete separate applications to be considered. Find the link to apply on Joint Commission’s website at https://www.jointcommission.org/en-us/about-us/recognizing-excellence/awards