NUHS wins six awards at Hospital Management Asia Awards 2026

Singapore, Sept. 3, 2026, The National University Health System (NUHS) and its member institutions have received six awards at the Hospital Management Asia (HMA) Awards 2026, recognizing their outstanding contributions in leadership development, community involvement, healthcare technology, and sustainability.

NUHS's National University Hospital (NUH) was awarded the Gold in the "Best in Talent Development" category for its leadership development system, "Built from Within: NUH's Approach to Embedding Leadership at Every Level." The initiative has systematically built leadership capabilities across different career stages, from first-time supervisors to experienced managers. NUH's approach goes beyond classroom learning, incorporating workplace application, peer learning, and structured reflection. This holistic model has led to positive outcomes, including a 44 percent growth in the leadership pipeline and a 65 percent increase in staff under 40 within the talent pool from 2022 to 2025. Employee engagement scores related to training and career development improved by nine percentage points, while patient satisfaction increased from about 85 percent to 92 percent.

Another award, the Excellence in "Best in Community Involvement," went to the Parkinson's Café @ Alexandra Hospital (AH), a programme that combines clinical care, peer support, and caregiver engagement. The initiative, launched in April 2025, brings together doctors, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, and care managers in small group sessions to provide personalized care and foster shared learning and support. Since its pilot launch, the programme has expanded, offering regular access to multidisciplinary care between clinic visits, thereby enabling earlier intervention, better symptom management, and stronger caregiver support.

The National University Centre for Organ Transplantation (NUCOT) at NUH received an Excellence Award for its "Closing the Gap: Building a Culture of Organ Donation Through Clinical Education and Community Engagement" project. This initiative aims to address the ongoing need for organ donors in Singapore by implementing targeted education programmes, multidisciplinary training, and structured protocols. These efforts resulted in a 30.3 percent increase in potential organ donor cases identified and escalated for assessment between 2024 and 2025. Beyond the hospital, NUCOT's outreach through public roadshows and partnerships with healthcare institutions and community organizations has increased organ donation knowledge and awareness among visitors by an average of 11.7 percent in 2025.

Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) was honored with the Excellence in "Most Sustainable Hospital" category for its "From Waste to Worth: Sustainable Reuse of Reverse Osmosis (RO) Reject Water in the Kidney Unit." The project has pioneered the recovery and reuse of RO reject water generated by dialysis services, making it one of Singapore's first hospital-based water recovery and reuse initiatives. By capturing and repurposing about 70 percent of dialysis RO reject water for landscape irrigation, the initiative has saved approximately nine million litres of drinking water annually, contributing to Singapore's broader water conservation and water resilience efforts. This approach not only reduces water demand but also demonstrates how healthcare can apply circular-economy principles to reduce waste and deliver multiple benefits without compromising patient safety or operational reliability.

Rounding out the awards, NUH's "Redefining Healthcare: NUH's System-wide Shift to Low-Carbon, High-Value Care" project received the same category award. Since 2021, this initiative has embedded sustainability across governance, clinical care, and operations. Through energy optimization, lower-emission anaesthetic practices, and digitalization efforts, the hospital has avoided over 6,680 tonnes of carbon emissions, reduced annual energy consumption by about 4.4 million kWh, and generated over S$1.2 million in annual energy savings. These measures not only advance environmental and financial sustainability but also improve patient outcomes and staff wellbeing.

In the "Most Advanced Healthcare Technology" category, NUHS's Population-based CHronic diseAse Management Programme (CHAMP) was recognized for its AI-enabled WhatsApp chatbot, which transforms chronic disease management from an episodic, clinic-centric model into a continuous, population-based approach. This initiative has enrolled over 44,800 patients as of July 2026, with a low dropout rate of about 1.8 percent. Clinical outcomes have been encouraging, with a significant reduction in poorly controlled blood pressure from 24.9 percent at enrolment to 15 percent after one year. Patient experience has also been positive, with over 80 percent reporting greater convenience, improved self-monitoring, and increased awareness of their condition.

These accolades underscore the National University Health System's commitment to transforming healthcare through innovation, sustainability, and community engagement.