LifeTouch Health President and CEO Dr. Brian Bell (left) accepts the 2026 Arkansas Governor’s Quality Award Challenge Level.
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (November 3, 2026) – Arkansas Hospice, which is becoming LifeTouch Health, has received the 2026 Arkansas Governor’s Quality Award at the Challenge Level from the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence (AIPE), recognizing its commitment to quality, continuous improvement, and performance excellence. The award was presented Oct. 29 at the 32nd annual Governor’s Quality Award Celebration at the Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock.
“Our patients and their families place tremendous trust in us, and we have a responsibility to keep improving the care we provide,” said Dr. Brian Bell, president and CEO of LifeTouch Health. “Receiving the 2026 Governor’s Quality Award at the Challenge Level is a meaningful step in that ongoing work. I’m proud of our team’s dedication and the compassion they bring to serving Arkansans every day.”
The Governor’s Quality Award Program, administered by the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence (AIPE) in partnership with the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, helps Arkansas organizations of all sizes strengthen their performance and achieve sustainable success. Using the Baldrige Excellence Framework, the program guides organizations through a multilevel process – from establishing foundational systems at the Challenge level to demonstrating role-model results at the Governor’s Award level. Each stage provides valuable feedback and a roadmap for improvement.
“Expanding how we measure the quality of our care is one of several steps we are taking to strengthen our services and work toward the next level in the Governor’s Quality Award process,” said Dr. Neal Wyatt, hospice medical director of LifeTouch Health, who is leading the organization’s participation in the program.
“Earning a Governor’s Quality Award at any level takes real commitment,” said Trish Villines, executive director of the Arkansas Institute for Performance Excellence. “LifeTouch Health identified key organizational characteristics such as mission, vision, and strategic position to prepare for moving to a higher award level and beginning to describe and evaluate its key processes and results.”
LifeTouch Health was one of nine Arkansas organizations recognized this year.
About LifeTouch Health
Caring since 1992, Arkansas Hospice’s Family of Care is becoming LifeTouch Health – helping Arkansans at any age or stage of serious illness have a better quality of life. For more information, visit LifeTouchHealth.org.
###