2011 Top Leadership Team Awards Recognize Big Moves

This year's winners of the HealthLeaders Media Top Leadership Teams share a common characteristic: The willingness to make big moves.

From a behemoth Arizona health system to a tiny two-bed hospital in the Appalachian region to a growing mid-sized community hospital to a specialty practice with offices in two states, leaders at each of these four organizations took a chance—and they, their patients, and their communities reaped the rewards.

In its eighth year, the Top Leadership Teams in Healthcare award program's mission remains clear:

• Celebrate outstanding teamwork in healthcare organizations,
• Share what makes top leadership teams successful, and
• Encourage other healthcare leaders to learn more from the best practices of top leadership teams.

This year, HealthLeaders recognized the value of outstanding leadership teamwork at three hospitals and one medical group practice.

"The award program The Top Leadership Teams program was founded on the premise that the core value for every successful healthcare organization must be teamwork—this year's winners certainly demonstrate that concept," said Gienna Shaw, a senior editor at HealthLeaders Media, who oversaw this year's program.