Recognition

Grace Award

Ninety years ago, the founder of AHIMA, Grace Whiting Myers, was a catalyst for change. She began this association on the conviction that advancements in the collection and organization of health information (HI) will invariably help medical professionals improve public health.

Today, the responsible collection, protection, and analysis of HI allows practitioners to provide effective care, innovative economic engines to run, researchers to make life-saving discoveries, and empowers individuals to maintain good health.

Due to Myers’ prescient vision, the AHIMA annual award bears her name: The Grace Award. The Grace Award honors healthcare delivery organizations for their innovative and novel approaches to using health information to deliver high-quality care to patients and for their contributions to our shared mission to Empowering People to Impact Health.^®

2025 applications/nominations are now closed. They will reopen in March 2026.

Grace Awards 2025

AHIMA Presents 2024 Grace Award to Texas Health Resources

2024 Grace Award winner

Texas Health Resources (THR) has been awarded the prestigious 2024 Grace Award. This award recognizes healthcare delivery organizations that exemplify innovative approaches to using health information to deliver high-quality care to patients, honoring the legacy of AHIMA founder Grace Whiting Myers.

Texas Health Resources stood out to the Awards Committee for their exceptional commitment to advancing the professional development and leadership skills of their health information team. Their innovative use of new service lines and technologies, along with their dedication to sharing process improvements with fellow HI professionals, showcases their role as leaders in the field.

Read the full Press Release.

Recognize Your Organization’s Accomplishments

Applicant author must be an AHIMA Member in good standing.
Organizations that have previously received the award are not eligible to receive the award again. Previous ‘honorable mention’ winners are eligible to apply again.
All types of organizations are encouraged to apply. This includes:
- Ambulatory (Free standing, surgery, or clinic); Rehabilitation; Physician office; Post-Acute Care setting; Hospital; Rural hospital; Critical Access Hospital; Multi-hospital setting; and Non-traditional settings such as QIOs, HIEs, or ACOs
Organizations that employ current members of the Award Committee or members of the AHIMA Board of Directors are not eligible to apply for the award.
All supporting documentation must have relevance to specific criteria requirements. The submitting party is responsible for ensuring that all required documentation is complete. If any required material is missing, AHIMA will notify the party to provide the missing material. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
All supporting documentation becomes the property of AHIMA. Materials cannot be returned.
Applications must be submitted online by the specified deadline.

Nomination criteria for this award includes:

HI leadership development strategy and how it facilitates professional advancement.
Structure, role, and job functions in:
- informatics and/or analytics
- privacy and/or security
- clinical documentation integrity
Turning data into information into action and using informatics and analytics to gather healthcare data that supports the healthcare operations within your organization.
Recent innovation(s) in health information that would differentiate your organization amongst peers in the industry.
Empowering patients to optimize their health through management of their personal health information and the role of HI in this effort.
Other noteworthy information regarding your organization which may be important related to the AHIMA Mission and Vision.

The award recipient will be notified by August.
The award recipient will be featured in AHIMA & You and may be featured in an issue of the Journal of AHIMA. The award recipient may also receive a press release they can distribute to media outlets in their local area. Finally, the award recipient may be interviewed or profiled in greater depth for an upcoming issue of the Journal of AHIMA, where they can share their accomplishments as an example to AHIMA members.
Announcement of the award recipient will be posted on the AHIMA website home page in the AHIMA Awards section.
An award designed and engraved for the recipient will be presented at the Awards Ceremony at the AHIMA Conference on Monday, October 13 or otherwise provided if the award recipient is unable to attend. The organizational logo and citation will be made public at the AHIMA Conference.
A representative from the award recipient’s organization is encouraged to attend the AHIMA Conference to receive the award, but it is not mandatory.
AHIMA will provide a representative from the awarded organization:

One (1) round-trip airfare to AHIMA Conference
One (1) night in hotel (single/double standard rate)
One (1) complimentary AHIMA Conference registration
Ground transportation to and from hotel/airport
Meals for 2 days

Grace Award Winners

Past winners who regularly demonstrated transformative journeys toward new and innovative HI practices that generate better patient outcomes.

Texas Health Resources (2024)
AmeriHealth Caritas (2023)
Amberwell Health (2023 Honorable Mention)
MD Anderson Cancer Center (2022)
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (2021)
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (2020)
Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) - Eastern Wisconsin Division (2019)
Hennepin Healthcare (2019 Honorable Mention)
Yale New Haven Health (2018)
University of Kansas Health System (2018 Honorable Mention)
SCL Health (2017)
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (2017 Honorable Mention)
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (2016)
Texas Health Resources (2016 Honorable Mention)
Allina Health of Minneapolis (2015)
Texas Health Resources (2015 Honorable Mention)
Children’s Medical Center of Dallas (2014)
Truman Medical Centers (2013)
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinic (2012)