July 2011
Representatives have voted to eliminate all federal funding for the program for the fiscal year 2012. One way you can help is to write to members of the U.S. House and Senate committees who will vote on this new proposal, and to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary. Support the Baldrige Program
March 11, 2011 Spong Baldrige Testimony (PDF, 150 KB)
ASQ President David Spong testified before Congress Friday, March 11, in connection with the proposed Baldrige budget cut. The Baldrige Performance Excellence Program is on a list of proposed budget cuts by the Obama administration.
January 12, 2011 U.S. Food Safety Bill Passed
U.S. President Barack Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act into law Tuesday, January 5. The law responds to several food safety outbreaks in recent years by strengthening the authority of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). ASQ calls for third-party assessment with oversight.
July 6, 2009 Update: ASQ in Washington
With the new administration filling key agency appointments and a flurry of legislation of interest to the quality field, it’s a busy time for ASQ in Washington.
May 13, 2009
Understanding ASQ’s Washington Priorities (PDF, 188 KB)
ASQ President Roberto Saco and the ASQ Public Policy Advisory Council worked with member leaders and ASQ’s Washington consultants to develop a roadmap of Washington priorities for the coming year.
January 23, 2009 ASQ Public Policy Advisory Council Takes Quality to Washington A Message from Kay Kendall, Chair of the Council
Thanks to ideas that are bubbling up from our divisions and members, I’m happy to report that ASQ is laying the groundwork for some exciting public policy initiatives in the areas of healthcare, the public sector, and education.
June 26, 2008 ASQ Lauds President Bush’s Executive Order on
Performance Improvement
An executive order issued by President Bush that establishes mechanisms for improving government performance was greeted by ASQ as a welcome measure for ensuring effective and efficient application of taxpayer resources.
August, 2007
ASQ Offers Comments on Food Safety Issues to House Subcommittee
The American Society for Quality cautioned a House subcommittee investigating food safety issues to “be wary of the drumbeat calling for more inspection as the way to address food safety problems, as this represents a simplistic solution to a complex situation and an expensive approach that cannot work.”
August, 2007
ASQ Releases White Paper on Social Responsibility (PDF, 370 KB)
Society is placing increasing demands on organizations to operate in a socially responsible manner. But there exists widespread lack of clarity about what “socially responsible” means and how to accomplish it.
September, 2006 ASQ Washington Updates: A Productive Week
ASQ began its “fall session” of Washington activities with meetings September 13 and 14 highlighting growth in U.S. manufacturing quality, innovation initiatives and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
June 9, 2006 Innovation and Healthcare Top ASQ’s Washington Agenda in June In meetings this month with lawmakers, ASQ is offering to supply quality
expertise in support of President Bush’s American Competitiveness Initiative and two bills now before Congress.
December 16, 2004 Recent ASQ Meetings in Washington, D.C.
Primary objectives of this series of meetings were to explore opportunities for extending ASQ's certification process into other areas, to seek support for appropriations for the recently passed legislation to expand the Baldrige Award to not-for-profits, and to conduct a series of interviews with notable and newsworthy figures in Washington.
October 14, 2004 Recent ASQ Meetings in Washington, DC - The following is a synopsis of meetings held on behalf of ASQ in Washington, DC, September 21, 2004. Representing ASQ: Amy Kimball, Sellery Associates, Inc., and Dick Sandretti, Sandretti Associates, Inc.
May 25, 2004 Recent ASQ Meetings in Washington, DC
The following is a synopsis of meetings held on behalf of ASQ in Washington, DC, May 17-18, 2004. Representing ASQ: Amy Kimball, Sellery Associates, Inc., and Dick Sandretti, Sandretti Associates, Inc.
February 2004 Recent ASQ Meetings in Washington, DC
The following is a synopsis of meetings held on behalf of ASQ in Washington, DC, Feb. 2-3, 2004.
January 2004 Recent ASQ Meetings in Washington, DC
The following is a synopsis of meetings held on behalf of ASQ in Washington, DC, Dec. 15-16, 2003.
September 2003 ASQ Comment on Columbia Shuttle Accident Report
In an Aug. 26, 2003, report, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, an independent body constituted by NASA, exonerated quality assurance as being responsible for the destruction of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The board cited NASA's culture as the main contributor to the accident, but it also uncovered major deficiencies in Kennedy Space Center's quality assurance program-deficiencies that the board believes may lead to a future accident.
September 2003 Recent ASQ Meetings in Washington DC
The following is a synopsis of meetings held on behalf of ASQ in Washington, DC, Sept. 29-30, 2003. Representing ASQ: Amy Kimball, Sellery Associates, Inc., and Dick Sandretti, Sandretti Associates, Inc.
July 2003 Washington Update
The following is a summary of meetings and activities held on behalf of ASQ in Washington, DC, July 14-15, 2003.
July 2003 ASQ Provides Commentary on Healthcare Legislation (PDF, 122 KB)
ASQ Chairman Liz Keim has sent a letter reaffirming ASQ’s support for major provisions of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act. Her letter, also containing comments on a revised Senate draft of the legislation, was sent to key members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. It was written in response to the Committee’s request for commentary.
July 2003 Newly Formed Panel to Advise ASQ on Issues
A new advisory panel, called the Issue Action Working Group, has been formed to counsel ASQ's Office of the President on current and potential issues affecting ASQ.
June 2003 Community Good Works Initiative
The Community Good Works Initiative is one of several ASQ initiatives that demonstrates how the employment of quality tools and processes benefits humanity.
Baldrige
July 2011
Representatives have voted to eliminate all federal funding for the program for the fiscal year 2012. One way you can help is to write to members of the U.S. House and Senate committees who will vote on this new proposal, and to U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary. Support the Baldrige Program
March 27, 2008 Still Time to Send Baldrige Appeal to President
President Bush has been a no-show at four of the last five Baldrige Award ceremonies, so ASQ is leading an effort to ensure the President’s participation.
May, 2007 ASQ Advocacy Efforts Aim to Change Baldrige Caps
A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would ease restrictions on the number of Baldrige Awards that may be given out in any year.
July, 2005 ASQ Congressional Meetings – Baldrige Not-For-Profit Category Funding
Neither July’s heat nor Congress’ focus on a certain Supreme Court appointee deterred ASQ’s efforts to get the U.S. House of Representatives to fund the nonprofit category of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
April 14, 2005 ASQ Leads Baldrige Supporters to Congressional Meetings
The meetings let members of Congress and their staffs hear firsthand about strong support among their constituents for the Baldrige Award, particularly the new nonprofit category, which has been signed into law but not yet funded.
October 18, 2004 ASQ President Thanks Baldrige Legislators
ASQ President Danny Duhan was in Washington on October 8 to thank key legislators for their work in passing legislation to establish a not-for-profit category of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
September 24, 2004 Baldrige Not-for-Profit Bill Passes Senate
Last night the United States Senate passed by unanimous consent H.R. 3389, the bill that establishes a not-for-profit category for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
May 12, 2004 ASQ Submits Statement on NIST Budget to House Science Committee
ASQ has submitted a statement for the record for a hearing held by the Committee on Science of the U.S. House of Representatives. The hearing dealt with budget requests for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, including additional funding for a new Baldrige Award not-for-profit category.
February 2004 Baldrige Not-for-Profit Legislation Clears House Committee
Legislation to establish a not-for-profit category for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award cleared the House Science Committee today. The measure was received with bipartisan enthusiasm. Principal sponsors are Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC), Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA), and Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS).
November 2003 New Bill Introduced to Expand Baldrige to Nonprofits
On October 29, Representatives Brad Miller (D-NC) and Melissa Hart (R-PA) introduced H.R. 3389 in the U.S. House of Representatives, which would establish the not-for-profit category for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.
July 2003 Effort to Expand Baldrige Award Takes Shape
Supporters of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award have recently stepped up efforts to achieve two longstanding goals: Expanding the award to include a not-for-profit category and eliminating the present cap on the number of awards that may be awarded in each category.
Education
June 4, 2009 ASQ Makes Case for Quality to Education Secretary
The case for driving quality improvements, including the use of Baldrige methods, in U.S. education reached a new level today, as ASQ delivered a position brief to Arne Duncan, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
August 3, 2004 ASQ Invited to Department of Education Regional Summits
Suzanne Keely, ASQ Market Manager—Education, was a guest presenter at several regional high school summits conducted by the U.S. Department of Education.
May 7, 2004 Lawmakers Seek Out ASQ on Education Legislation
Representatives from the American Society for Quality were in Washington D.C. last week to meet with staff of the House Education and Workforce Committee, discussing ways in which quality methods could address cost issues in higher education.
August 30, 2004 New Watchdog Body Finds Quality Control Problems at Accounting Firms
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the financial auditing industry regulatory body established in 2002 by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, released its first report Thursday on initial inspections at the four largest public accounting firms in the United States, stating that the board "identified concerns about significant aspects of each firm's quality controls systems."
June 8, 2010 ASQ Endorses Berwick Nomination
ASQ Chairman Pete Andres and Executive Director Paul Borawski sent letters to the Senate Finance Committee recommending the confirmation of Donald Berwick as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
March 25, 2010 ASQ Presents Assessment Tools to Federal Health Officials
ASQ today unveiled a set of tools that physician practices and hospitals can use to assess themselves against the Baldrige Criteria and against the federal government’s Meaningful Use criteria for health information technology implementation.
November 12, 2009 A Role for ASQ in Healthcare Legislation
ASQ worked extensively on the quality components of the health care legislation that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a 215-210 margin.
November 3, 2009 A Win for ASQ’s Advocacy Efforts—National Health IT Coordinator Seeks Out ASQ Advice
In another advancement of the Society’s advocacy efforts related to healthcare reform, ASQ representatives met in Washington, D.C., on November 3 with the individuals responsible for implementing major change in the nation’s health information technology systems.
September 2, 2009 ASQ Panel to Address Congressional Healthcare Caucus
ASQ has been invited to convene a panel of experts to appear before members of a congressional healthcare caucus on September 15 in Washington, D.C. The panel will discuss healthcare information technology (Health IT).
August 6, 2009 ASQ Works Toward Quality in Healthcare Reform
ASQ developed a set of basic principles for bringing quality methods into the healthcare reform efforts in the United States, and sent them to the legislators working on healthcare reform legislation.
June 11, 2009 ASQ Submits Comments on Federal Healthcare IT Proposal
Don’t throw money into information technology in healthcare organizations that aren’t properly prepared to utilize it fully. Take advantage of proven process improvement tools and quality methodologies that make implementation go smoother and quicker.
June 10, 2008 ASQ Supports New Options for Accrediting Hospitals to Participate in Medicare
ASQ responded to a request by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for comments on an application to use an ISO 9001-based platform as the basis for accrediting hospitals for participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.
May 19, 2008 Federal Healthcare Agency Welcomes ASQ Help in Defusing Controversy
The federal Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP) accepted an ASQ request and met with ASQ officials on April 21 to discuss ways to defuse controversy arising out of an earlier OHRP regulatory ruling.
March 21, 2008 ASQ Moves Forward to Resolve Federal Healthcare Controversy
ASQ has sent a letter to Michael Leavitt, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, seeking to defuse lingering controversy and confusion over a ruling by the department’s Office of Human Research Protections (OHRP).
February 12, 2008 ASQ Statement on Healthcare Checklists Issue
The American Society for Quality takes exception to a recent ruling by the Office for
Human Research Protections that is having a potentially chilling effect on healthcare
quality improvement and patient safety initiatives being carried out at healthcare
institutions across the country.
February 2008
Federal Ruling a Potential Threat to Healthcare Quality Improvement Initiatives: ASQ Responds
Who would have thought that a simple little checklist of five basic hospital intensive care infection-control practices could ignite howls of protest within the healthcare community and threaten to disrupt quality initiatives in healthcare institutions across the country?
April 26, 2006 ASQ Healthcare Panel Brings Healthcare Quality Experts to Capitol Hill
The crisis, complexity, competing interests and compassion that drive healthcare delivery in the United States came through in impassioned comments, questions and suggested solutions offered during ASQ’s Healthcare Forum on Capitol Hill today.
July 2003 ASQ Provides Commentary on Healthcare Legislation (PDF, 122 KB)
ASQ Chairman Liz Keim has sent a letter reaffirming ASQ’s support for major provisions of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act. Her letter, also containing comments on a revised Senate draft of the legislation, was sent to key members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. It was written in response to the Committee’s request for commentary.
Homeland Security
September 2003 ANSI Panel Advises on Homeland Security Standards
ASQ is participating in a new ANSI panel advising the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on identifying and developing consensus standards to meet homeland security needs.
Transportation
August 30, 2004 Transportation Security Administration Looks to ASQ for Certification Needs
More than two years of meetings and communications with the Transportation Security Administration reached a turning point for ASQ recently when the TSA asked ASQ to work with the agency in improving its current certification process for security screeners and developing a certification process for various other positions.
October 2003 Airport Security Testing Problems Bring Response
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's acting inspector general has found that certain questions on a test for airport security workers were very simplistic or worded in such a way as to make the correct answer obvious.
