Nicklaus Children's Health System has been named one of three finalists for the American Hospital Association's (AHA) 2026 Quest for Quality Prize, one of the nation's highest honors recognizing leadership and innovation in healthcare quality and patient safety. The finalists and recipient were announced during the AHA's Leadership Summit in Denver.
Presented annually since 2002, the Quest for Quality Prize recognizes hospitals and health systems that demonstrate exceptional leadership in improving quality, advancing patient safety and delivering better health outcomes for communities they serve. Nicklaus Children's joins Advocate Health and Connecticut Children's as finalists, while Ralph H. Johnson VA Health System was named the 2026 recipient.
“This year's AHA Quest for Quality honorees demonstrate how a deep commitment to innovations in data-driven safety initiatives can transform care and strengthen communities,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack. “These hospitals and health systems are leading the way in building cultures where safety and quality are the North Star, setting a powerful example for others across the country.”
The recognition highlights Nicklaus Children's commitment to its Safety for All framework, a comprehensive approach that fosters a culture of psychological safety by protecting patients, families, team members and the communities it serves from preventable harm while empowering everyone to improve outcomes together.
“Being recognized by the American Hospital Association as one of the nation's top health systems for quality is an honor and a reflection of our commitment to creating the safest possible environment for every child and family we serve,” said Matthew Love, president and chief executive officer of Nicklaus Children's Health System. “This recognition belongs to every member of our team whose dedication to continuous improvement, innovation and collaboration ensures that quality and safety remain at the center of everything we do.”
Finalist: Nicklaus Children's — Miami
Nicklaus Children's Health System operates across South Florida, including 10 primary care centers, 19 outpatient and specialty centers and 10 urgent care centers. The nonprofit system's “Safety for All” framework builds a culture of psychological safety by creating environments where patients, families, staff and communities are protected from preventable harm and empowered to improve outcomes together. The Safety for All approach is led by cross-functional teams from patient safety, public safety, employee well-being, risk management, employee health, environment of care and emergency management. The program includes a workplace violence prevention initiative that led to an 11% improvement in staff perception of workplace safety in 2024 and an adaptive care program for children with developmental or sensory needs that reduced staff injuries from behavioral events by 63% between 2021 and 2024. Leadership doubled psychiatric bed capacity in 2023, reducing out of system transfers by 90% and lowering emergency department wait times by 26%.