PLANETREE MERIT AWARD PROGRAM
Planetree is pleased to expand the ways that health care organizations on their journeys to patient- or resident-centered excellence can be recognized for their achievements along the way. With the new Planetree Merit Award Program, Planetree builds on its already established Designation Program by introducing a tiered system of recognition leading up to Designation. This expanded approach creates three levels of recognition:
- Bronze Recognition for Meaningful Progress in Patient-/Resident-Centered Care
- Silver Recognition for Significant Advancement in Patient-/Resident-Centered Care
- Gold Recognition for Excellence in Patient-/Resident-Centered Care (Planetree Designation)*
The three-tier approach to recognition is intended to drive quality and accelerate excellence in patient- and resident-centered care by making the path to Designation more affirming, accessible and structured. The two new levels of recognition preceding Designation (Bronze and Silver) have been developed as intermediate milestones that can further galvanize organizations to progress in their culture change journeys. They can serve as concrete targets for goal setting, tracking progress and celebrating successes.
The tiers are all organized around the criteria for Planetree Designation. Each tier builds on the preceding ones and the award of each tier is based on a site satisfying an established percentage of the existing Planetree Designation criteria:
| Bronze Recognition for Meaningful Progress in Patient-/Resident-Centered Care | 75% of Planetree Designation Criteria must be met (including the Bronze baseline required criteria) |
| Silver Recognition for Significant Advancement in Patient-/Resident-Centered Care | 88% of Planetree Designation Criteria must be met (including the Silver baseline required criteria) |
| Gold Recognition for Excellence in Patient-/Resident-Centered Care (Planetree Designation) | 100% of Planetree Designation Criteria must be met |
There is no “short-cut” to patient- or resident-centered excellence. Achievement of Planetree Designation (the Gold tier) will remain limited to the elite group of organizations meeting the rigorous standards that have come to define excellence in patient- and resident-centered care. Experience has shown that the fundamental shift in organizational culture required to meet the spirit and intent of the full set of Designation criteria can take years. As a result, for many organizations on the pathway to patient- and resident-centered excellence, Designation remains a long-term goal. With the introduction of Bronze and Silver level tiers of recognition, sites can receive formal recognition by Planetree for their incremental efforts as they continue on the path toward Designation.
The Application Process
Like Designation, the assessment process for Bronze and Silver-level applicants includes a self-assessment, submission of documentation, on-site observation, focus group discussion and review of outcomes measures.
For more information
Organizations interested in learning more about the Planetree Merit Award tiered recognition program should contact the Planetree Designation Office at 203-732-1379 or email Christy Davies, Designation Coordinator, at cdavies@planetree.org.
*Planetree Designated® and the certification logo are registered trademarks of Planetree, Inc.