NAMES IN THE NEWS

Kansas ASC Wins AAAHC Bernard A. Kershner Award

DECEMBER 17, 2025

Indian Creek Campus Ambulatory Surgery Center of the University of Kansas Health System in Overland Park, Kansas, won the 2025 Bernard A. Kershner Surgical/Procedural Care award for its blood glucose documentation improvement study, according to a release.

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) announced the winners of the 2025 Bernard A. Kershner Innovations in Quality Improvement (QI) Awards at its December Achieving Accreditation conference’s networking reception. The annual awards recognize AAAHC-accredited organizations that demonstrate excellence and measurable success in improving the quality of care, patient safety, and operational performance through innovative QI initiatives, according to the release.

Indian Creek Campus Ambulatory Surgery Center initiated its targeted QI study to strengthen perioperative safety by reducing inconsistent or missed preoperative blood glucose documentation. By refining documentation workflows, providing focused staff training, and establishing real-time monitoring for compliance, the center streamlined its processes and improved reliability across teams. Over the course of the QI project, the organization achieved a 75 percent reduction in missed documentation occurrences, surpassing its goal of fewer than 1 percent missed or inconsistent entries and reinforcing the role of accurate, timely documentation in supporting safe surgical care, according to the release.

New York University (NYU) Student Health Center in New York, New York, won the 2025 Bernard A. Kershner Primary Care award for its initiative to increase vaccine uptake in student health.

“The 2025 Kershner Award winners submitted quality improvement studies that reflect dedication, ingenuity and leadership in ambulatory health care,” said Steven Butz, MD, AAAHC board chair, in the release. “Our expert panel recognized the University of Kansas Health System’s focused effort to reduce missed documentation and found NYU Student Health Center’s innovative approach to increasing immunization rates as noteworthy. Both winners exemplify how data-driven QI initiatives can strengthen patient safety, enhance operational reliability, and elevate the overall patient experience.”

Said Julie Lynch, RN, director of Institute for Quality Improvement, in the release, “Every year, the Kershner QI Award gives us an opportunity to shine a light on organizations that are transforming care through thoughtful, well-designed quality improvement. This year’s honorees demonstrate how targeted interventions can drive measurable progress and strengthen patient and team safety. Their work reflects the spirit of continuous improvement throughout the entire accreditation term. We hope their accomplishments motivate others to explore new ways to elevate quality in their own practices.”

Named in honor of the late Bernard A. Kershner, a leader in ambulatory health care and a distinguished past chair of the AAAHC Institute Board of Trustees, the award recognizes excellence across both primary care and surgical/procedural sectors. This year’s winners demonstrated strong application of the AAAHC six-component criteria for QI, showcasing how structured, data-driven initiatives can advance safety and support continuous improvement throughout the 1,095-day accreditation cycle, according to the release.

Organizations are encouraged to apply for the 2026 Kershner QI Awards, with submissions opening January 5, 2026. To learn more about how to apply for the Kershner QI Awards, visit https://www.aaahc.org/quality-institute/kershner-award-submissions.