Soumitra Bhuyan, the Executive Director of Health Administration Programs and Associate Professor at Rutgers University-New Brunswick’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, has been honored with a National Leadership Excellence Award. This accolade is jointly presented by the Baldrige Foundation and the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), acknowledging his outstanding contributions to enhancing healthcare management education.
Bhuyan expressed his gratitude for receiving the award, stating, “I am deeply honored to receive the CAHME/Baldrige Foundation Award for Leadership Excellence. This recognition highlights the progress we have achieved at the Rutgers Health Administration Program and our unwavering commitment to advancing healthcare management education.”
The Baldrige Foundation aims to promote leadership excellence through strategies that align mission, vision, and values. The foundation provides educational programs and resources that help leaders cultivate continuous improvement within their organizations. Al Faber, President and CEO of the Baldrige Foundation, remarked on this collaboration: “The Baldrige Foundation is proud to have collaborated with CAHME to develop an individual leadership award that recognizes role-model leaders who challenge, encourage, and empower others to achieve performance excellence.”
Anthony Stanowski, President and CEO of CAHME, praised Bhuyan's embodiment of both CAHME and Baldrige principles: “Dr. Bhuyan exemplifies the essence of both the CAHME and Baldrige principles, fostering a culture of continuous improvement that elevates the quality of healthcare management education."
Bhuyan aims to guide educational institutions in providing high-quality experiences while maintaining their missions through data-driven decision-making. This approach aligns with the Baldrige model's emphasis on embedding excellence into an organization’s DNA.
Stuart Shapiro, Dean of Bloustein School commented on Bhuyan’s influence: “Our very young health administration program has quickly ascended national rankings due in no small part to Professor Bhuyan’s teaching, mentorship, and leadership.” Ralph Gigliotti from Rutgers noted Bhuyan’s development during his time as a Fellow in the Rutgers Leadership Academy.
Bhuyan’s work is widely recognized beyond Rutgers as well; he contributes research featured in national outlets such as The Hill and ABC News. His editorial roles include Associate Editor for BMJ Global Health among other academic journals.
Roberto Muniz from Parker Health Group commended Bhuyan: “This well-deserved recognition reflects Dr. Bhuyan’s talent...His dedication...has been pivotal...” He added pride in having him at Rutgers.
Bhuyan's previous accolades include national honors like the Charles E. Gibbs Leadership Prize for women’s health research along with being named a "Rising Star" by American Public Health Association’s Health Administration Section.
In 2018 another distinguished professor from Rutgers was awarded similarly recognizing contributions made towards education sectors - Brent Ruben was one such inaugural winner underlining how individuals associated continue making significant impacts across various fields.
