NOR-LEA HOSPITAL DISTRICT RECEIVES 2025 MALCOLM BALDRIGE NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD FOR PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE
The Hospital District achieves major milestone on its performance excellence journey.
LOVINGTON, NM – Nor-Lea Hospital District is one of two organizations in the U.S. that will receive this distinguished award in Baltimore, Maryland next month. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence, the nation’s only presidential award for performance excellence and innovation, is the highest level of national recognition a U.S. organization can receive for performance excellence, particularly in relation to resilience and long-term success. The award, established under the Department of Commerce in 1987, set out to transform industries, pushing them to reach new heights of quality and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global economy. More than just an award, Baldrige became a framework for organizational excellence, recognizing those who demonstrated unparalleled leadership, innovation and service.
Nor-Lea Hospital District CEO/Administrator, David Shaw, and executive leadership will travel to Baltimore to receive the award in March and share best practices with organizational leaders from across the globe. “This is a massive achievement for our Nor-Lea Team,” stated Shaw after receiving the news on Friday, February 13, 2026. “This is the ‘Mount Everest’ of organizational performance excellence, and for a Critical Access Hospital in New Mexico to reach that peak after a 15-year climb is truly remarkable. Receiving the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence is not just a milestone, it is the culmination of a 15-year promise we made to The District. When we began this journey over a decade ago, we chose to stop comparing ourselves to ‘small hospitals’ and started measuring ourselves against the best organizations in the nation. We didn’t do this for the trophy-we did it because our community deserves nothing less than exceptional. This recognition proves that residents in rural communities can, and should, receive a high standard of care. This honor belongs entirely to our staff who have spent the last fifteen years relentlessly asking, ‘How can we improve?’ In our rural setting, every patient is a neighbor, a friend or family member. By embracing the Baldrige framework, we’ve built a culture where clinical excellence, advanced technology and deep personal compassion meet. The Nor-Lea team is committed to this journey of excellence and I couldn’t be prouder of the team for proving that world-class care lives right here in Lea County.”
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) manages the Baldrige Award in cooperation with the private sector. An independent panel of volunteer judges from NIST selects recipients based on a complex assessment process.
David Shaw and BranDee Savell, Nor-Lea Chief Nursing Officer, began the performance excellence journey in 2010. That year, Nor-Lea applied for New Mexico’s adaptation of the Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award program – Quality New Mexico. To apply at the National level, organizations must achieve the highest recognition at the state level. Nor-Lea earned the highest recognition for the State of New Mexico, the Zia Award, in 2018. In 2023, Nor-Lea received the Eureka Gold Award - the highest recognition for performance excellence in the State of California.
“The journey does not end here,” said Savell. “Nor-Lea Hospital District remains committed in its pursuit of excellence, committed to our culture, our values, our mission and vision. We are continuously seeking ways to enhance services and elevate the patient experience. We will never cease in striving for excellence, and we will continue to engage our community members in feedback every step of the way. We are committed to sharing best practices with organizations across the nation in pursuit of our vision to Enhance Lives. We are proof that if organizations have discipline and drive, exceptional care is the result. As we press forward on our journey, one thing is certain: the best is yet to come.”
For more information about the Quest for Excellence Conference, visit the 2026 Quest Conference Website.
For more information about Nor-Lea’s Performance Excellence Journey or to set up an interview with Nor-Lea Leadership, please contact jordan.benard@nlgh.org │ (575) 396-6611 ext. 1901.
About the Baldridge Excellence Program
The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is the nation's public-private partnership dedicated to improving the performance, resilience, and long-term success of U.S. businesses and other organizations. Working with partners, collaborators, and hundreds of volunteers, the Baldrige Program
MEDIA CONTACT
JORDAN BENARD, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNITY RELATIONS
e: jordan.benard@nlgh.org p: (575) 396-6611 ext. 1901