Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Ceremony
July 20, 2005

Remarks by Christy Stephenson
President and CEO
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton

It is a great honor to be here today representing the healthcare industry and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, New Jersey.

The blue H’s you see around the room represent what has made our hospital successful—our people. We wanted to bring all 1800 employees of the Hospital here with us today, but we couldn’t do that. So, on the back of every blue H are pictures of our employees. It is their passion and commitment that have transformed our Hospital.

How many people does it take to make the world a better place? Let me introduce you to three who’ve done just that in our community.

First, Maury Perilli, and Maury, I hope you don’t mind me telling everyone that you’re 86 years …young. Maury is the Founding Father of our hospital and he’s been a leader in our community his entire adult life. Since the mid-60’s, Maury has been the visionary for RWJ Hamilton.

And, next, I want to introduce you to Dr. Feroz Safdar who for the last 30 years has had a passion for quality of patient care. As our Chief of Staff, he’s always striving for a higher standard. He is loved and respected by his patients and colleagues alike.

The third individual I want to highlight is Cheryl Prall. Cheryl is a Nurse Educator who is on our Baldrige Staff Focus Team. If there were Nurse Educator of the Year Award, Cheryl would win that award hands down. Cheryl represents the commitment of every RWJ-Hamilton employee.

I would love to introduce each and every one of RWJ people who are here, but I do not have the time to do that now.

These three individuals remind me of a quote by management guru, Mark McCormack….
“We seriously undervalue the passion a person brings to an enterprise. You can rent a brain, but you can’t rent a heart.”

Cheryl Prall’s dedication, Dr. Safdar’s drive, and Maury Perilli’s commitment to the community represent the passion of everyone at RWJ Hamilton and that’s how we make our community a healthier place to live.

On behalf of the RWJ-Hamilton family I want to thank everyone involved with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program. And especially Vice President Cheney and Commerce Secretary Gutierrez for supporting this valuable program for American businesses, schools and health care organizations.

Thank you.

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