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Applications Now Being Accepted for the 2026 Premier Cares Award

Key takeaways:

  • The Premier Cares Award recognizes standalone community agencies and health organizations that are improving the lives of the medically underserved.
  • Applications for the Cares Award are being accepted through Jan. 20, 2026.
  • The winner will receive a $100,000 cash prize from Premier during an awards ceremony held at our Breakthroughs Conference in October 2026.

Each year during our annual Breakthroughs Conference and Exhibition, Premier recognizes the exemplary efforts of a community organization dedicated to helping the medically underserved with the Premier Cares Award.

We receive numerous applications each year for the Premier Cares Award, and the inspiring work of these organizations often moves our judges – made up of national healthcare leaders and Premier team members – to tears.

Premier has presented the Cares Award annually since 1991, when it was created by Dr. Monroe E. Trout, former CEO of American Healthcare Systems, one of Premier’s heritage organizations. The award is sponsored by Premier and its alliance of more than 4,350 hospitals and health systems and approximately 300,000 other providers and organizations.

The competition is open to nonprofit organizations that have been in existence for more than two years, are providing creative solutions to health status improvement, can provide documentation of outcomes and impact on a specific population, and have programs that can be replicated in other communities.

We’re excited to announce that the 2026 Cares Award portal will be open Nov. 1, 2025, and will accept applications through Jan. 20, 2026.

Applicants should be nonprofit organizations, in either the public or private sector, that operate independently but are affiliated with a Premier member hospital or healthcare system in some way. Organizations must have programs for underserved populations that can be replicated in other communities, be able to show results covering a full one-year span prior to January 2026 and be able to articulate a sustainable future vision for the program.

Underserved populations include but are not limited to those which:

  • Suffer severely limited access to medical, dental or mental healthcare providers.
  • Experience high infant mortality.
  • Face low income and high poverty.
  • Experience high levels of drug abuse.
  • Are economically or medically vulnerable.
  • Have a unique care need that is not being met through traditional means.

The winner of the Premier Cares Award receives a $100,000 gift from Premier to support their program and their community’s health. The recipient will be honored at Premier’s Annual Breakthroughs Conference, which will be held October 6-8, 2026, at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

Interested in applying or know of a nonprofit organization that should?

If you know of independent local programs that provide this type of care - and are loosely affiliated with your hospital or health system - encourage them to consider this opportunity.

Download the Premier Cares Award Worksheet.

Learn more about previous Premier Cares Award winners.

For more information, contact caresaward@premierinc.com.

Article Information

Date Published:
11/03/25
Found in:
Blog, Breakthroughs
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Kelly Hicks
Senior Manager, Customer Experience, Premier

Kelly is a thought leader who manages the design and execution of voice of the customer programs and strategies at Premier, including awards and recognition programs to celebrate our customers, share successes and enhance partnerships. She also leads customer experience strategies, speaker recruitment and management, content development, and program measurement.