Nowadays, adopting and implementing excellence in organization is an indicator of success. Thus, business excellence models have changes and adapt new sectors recently where governments and global organization creates their own definition and method to excellence. In UAE, there are many excellence models that was created to help improve business performance based on the vision and mission of the country.

A study of Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA) as a business excellence model and how it improves the performance of Corniche Hospital recently. SKEA is the Prime National Provider and Representative of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) (Skea.ae, 2018). SEKA was founded in 1994 by Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry to help government and private sectors to achieve excellence and competitiveness. According to Professor Hadi Eltigani, the Chairman of Emirates Quality Association & Coordinator General, Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award “SKEA will impact on every excellence movements, it provides a clear road-map for organizations and provides clear methodology for assessment with feedback” (The EFQM Channel, 2016).

SKEA provide an integrated program that provides all the training related to quality and excellence, including the training for the leaders of excellence as well as other schemes for the credit of excellence and how it is recognized. this aimed at encouraging organizations in the United Arab Emirates to support their efforts towards achieving business excellence. All these programs are bilingual and are certified by EFQM. There are three main excellence award categories based on the continues performance developments starting with diamond, gold, and silver. Also, they provide appreciation certificate for good excellence progress. Based on SKEA, it is eligible for these sectors: • Manufacturing.• Financial.• Educational.

• Service.• Tourism.• Trade.• Construction.• Professional.• Health. (Skea.ae, 2018)As SKEA is based on EFOM, it uses the same criteria which are divided into two main parts, enablers are the criteria that help to in implementation of strategies such as leadership, process, people, strategy and partnership and resources.

The other part is result that look at the accomplishments in these areas of key result, people, customer and society results of an organization.Corniche Hospital runs under Abu Dhabi Health Services. Co (SEHA), was able to get SKEA in 2013 for the silver category and move to the gold in 2017/ 2018 cycle for its constant progress. Adapting and implementing a business excellence model helped Corniche Hospital to achieve the award by planning strategically for success through considering the main areas of focus, measuring performance, progress benchmarking and planning for excellence.Corniche Hospital main areas of focus are quality, cost, access and people. The hospital strategy was built around providing quality health services through wining national and international awards such as IBCLC International. Also, lower the cost with increasing the provided service quality. The third focus area is access by developing a new outpatient system that eliminate repetitive visits and reduce waiting time while offering expert care (SEHA, 2013).

Lastly, the hospital focuses on developing people through providing leadership training and supporting the staff to win awards for their excellent performance.To maintain the excellence Corniche Hospital leaders’ understand the importance of measuring performance and benchmarking their progress to achieve the vision and mission of the hospital. They use key performance indicators (KPI) to provide progress measurements in critical parts such as looking at their operations which help them to define the hospital position for providing health excellence. In addition to that, Corniche Hospital sets benchmarks internally with in SEHA organizations and externally with international health providers to maintain the competitive advantages and maintain the progress that was attained over the years.Corniche Hospital plans for excellence through developing an excellence team that are responsible to improving all services and product. They need to have high patient satisfaction with clear communicated channels by using Absher. The was initiated in 2012 with these focus goals, reduce waiting time during services, provide error free environment and improve quality of communication to get maximum customer satisfaction (Seha.

ae, 2018). Also, another important job for the excellence team is to develop a patient center culture through training, customer data analysis and rewarding employees. In conclusion, Corniche Hospital demonstrates evidence of continuous improvement in the excellence journey through wining two SKEA categories with in few years by providing the evidence of an improvement cycle of their performance.

This clearly means that SKEA succeed to achieve its vision of empowering firms to improve their performance, competitiveness and attaining a global position in business (Skea.ae, 2018) which is support the UAE and Abu Dhabi 2030 target to lead businesses globally and attract new entrepreneurial firms.