WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Boozman, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, applauded veterans’ health care providers in Arkansas after they received recognition for their outstanding performance and service to veterans. 

Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System and Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks earned top honors at the 20^th Annual Robert W. Carey Awards for Performance Excellence. 

“Having two VA facilities in Arkansas receive this recognition is a great honor and an exceptional testament to the commitment of the employees at these health centers for their efforts to providing our veterans with the quality service they deserve,” Boozman said. “These awards recognize that these facilities are some of the best in the nation and are a benchmark for standards to be followed by other VA facilities.” 

Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, located in Little Rock was honored with the Robert W. Carey Circle of Excellence Award which recognizes VA organizations for the implementation of management practices that produce the highest levels of performance and service to our nation’s veterans. 

“It is an honor for our facility to be recognized with the Circle of Excellence Award,” said Michael R. Winn, CAVHS medical center director. “Most importantly, it serves as a great mile marker on the road to continued improvement and sustained excellence in serving the Veterans here in Central Arkansas. I’m very proud of our employees and volunteers whose dedication and commitment make the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System worthy of such recognition.” 

Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, located in Fayetteville, was honored with the Robert W. Carey Trophy Award, the VA’s highest recognition for quality achievement and service to our nation’s veterans. Each year this award is presented to no more than two of the VA’s highest performing organizations for quality achievement. 

“The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks is honored to have been selected as the recipient of the 2011 Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Trophy Award” said Mark A. Enderle, M.D., Medical Center Director. “This prestigious award is based on Malcolm Baldrige criteria for process improvement and is the highest award bestowed by the VA.”  

Boozman recognized these honors in the Congressional Record, the official document that following Congressional proceedings.