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The Helen Darling Award recognizes an outstanding employer who exemplifies leadership in delivering a comprehensive, innovative programmatic and purchasing strategy that demonstrates a track record of enhancing health care quality and patient experience, efficient and cost-effective use of health care resources, and achievement of value in health care and program evaluation.

Award Criteria

Successful Applicants will demonstrate:

  • An innovative approach to U.S. health benefits, pursuing strategies not yet common amongst large employers;
  • The ability to take risks and convert leading edge ideas into solutions that enhance the health benefits of their employees through value-based purchasing, benefit design, or other related methods;
  • Successful implementation of alternative care delivery or value-based payment models;
  • Programs that break traditional paradigms and create positive disruption in the health care market;
  • Sustainability and the longitudinal value of programs, by improving quality, employee experience, and health outcomes, as well as having positive impact on cost trend; and
  • Thought leadership in the above areas.

Previous winners of this award include Boeing, Costco, Walmart, Cerner Corporation and most recently General Motors.

All Business Group on Health employer member companies are eligible to apply. Interested companies should complete the following application for consideration by November 11, 2022. If you have any questions, please contact Natashia McNair at nmcnair@businessgrouphealth.org.

Questions? Contact us.
“

“ Being innovative is one of the behaviors
that helps shape our culture at
General Motors, and receiving this
prestigious award recognizes that
we are also living those behaviors
in how we provide health care for
our employees.”

Janice Uhlig, Vice President for Global Compensation and Benefits, General Motors

Helen Darling Award
Helen Darling Award:
Excellence in Health Care Value and Innovation

The Helen Darling Award: Excellence in Health Care Value and Innovation recognizes outstanding employers that encourage the implementation of innovations that promote the efficient and cost-effective use of health care resources

2023 Winner, The Walt Disney Company
The 2023 Helen Darling Award for Excellence in Health Care Value and Innovation has been awarded to The Walt Disney Company for their successful disruption of the traditional fee-for-service health care payment model and innovative shift toward value-based care. Through a direct contracting process, Disney curated a high-performing network of physicians and tied incentives to patient outcomes and experience. The move to value-based care has led to improvements and more flexibility for thousands of Disney employees across central Florida and serves as a model for other employers in the region, further influencing the delivery of care in the community.

Winner Details

Business Group on Health presented the Helen Darling Award at our Employers' Summit on Health Care Cost & Delivery event.

Press Release Award Brochure

Past Winners

2022

General Motors

General Motors for demonstrating value in the health care delivery system, innovative partnerships with health care providers, and their commitment of prioritizing quality in the benefits delivered.
Press Release Award Brochure

2020

Cerner Corporation

Cerner Corporation for development of an innovative Center of Excellence bariatric program; a comprehensive maternity program; medical coverage for fertility treatments; and comprehensive solutions to address mental health.
Press Release Award Brochure

2019

Walmart Corporation

Walmart, Inc. for its custom Centers of Excellence, direct contracting Accountable Care Organization relationships and management of prescription drug utilization.
Press Release Award Brochure

2018

Costco Wholesale Corporation

Costco Wholesale Corporation for its network strategy and leadership in addressing the behavioral health of their employees.
Press Release Award Brochure