College of Healthcare Operations Management: 2027 Best Paper Competition

The College of Healthcare Operations Management (CHOM) of the Production and Operations Management Society (POMS) is pleased to announce its 2027 Best Paper Competition. This annual competition honors outstanding papers that advance both research and practice in the area of Healthcare Operations Management. As CHOM addresses an inherently applied interest area, the competition emphasizes practical applicability and real-world relevance alongside scholarly rigor. In alignment with our college's core mission to improve healthcare delivery and practice, submitted studies should be directly motivated by or grounded in real-world healthcare operational problems. While implementation within a healthcare setting is not required, the problem under study must reflect genuine, practical challenges. We welcome submissions encompassing all methodological approaches, including empirical methods, data analytics, analytical modeling, and field/case studies.

Eligibility Criteria

1. The submitting author must submit an abstract of the paper to either the Healthcare Analytics or the Healthcare Operations Management track (by Nov. 8, 2026 via the POMS website) and register for the 2027 POMS Annual Conference.
2. The submitting author must be an active member of CHOM on or before the date of submission.
3. The submitted paper must present original research conducted primarily by the entrants. Per POMS conference rules, the paper must not be published or accepted for publication at the time of submission.
4. The paper submitted here may not be submitted to any other POMS College Best Paper Competition for the 2027 POMS Annual Conference. Each co-author is limited to a single contest submission.

Submission Instructions

Submissions should be 32 pages or less, all inclusive, and abide by formatting rules for the POM journal. Submissions must be received no later than January 3, 2027 via this Google Forms link: https://forms.gle/xHhJTUehYK83fWJr6

Selection Procedure & Evaluation Criteria

All papers will undergo a 2-stage evaluation process:

1. Screening Round: Submissions will be screened to verify eligibility, compliance with page limits, and complete anonymity. Non-compliant papers will be disqualified.
2. Peer Review & Judging: Papers passing screening will be evaluated by 2-3 expert judges across five core dimensions:
   1. Real-World Relevance & Applicability: Extent to which the study addresses a meaningful problem in healthcare delivery with potential for practical impact or practice improvement.
   2. Importance of the Topic: Significance and novelty of the research question within healthcare operations management.
   3. Theoretical and/or Managerial Contributions: Value and depth of the insights generated for academic researchers and healthcare practitioners/leaders.
   4. Rigor of Methodology & Analysis: Methodological soundness, technical correctness, and analytical strength.
   5. Presentation & Clarity: Quality of organization, readability, and communication clarity.
3. Finalists: At most five finalists will be chosen and their presentations will be scheduled in the “CHOM Best Papers” session on Saturday, April 24th at the 2027 POMS Annual Conference.
4. Awards: The first place and runner-up prizes will be announced during the 2027 CHOM Business Meeting at the POMS Annual Conference. The first place prize is accompanied by a $1,000 honorarium and the runner-up prize by a $500 honorarium.

Competition Co-Chairs

For questions regarding the competition or submission process, or to volunteer to be a judge, please contact the 2027 Paper Competition Co-Chairs:

• Craig Froehle, University of Cincinnati at craig.froehle@uc.edu
• Sarah Zheng, University of Victoria at szheng@uvic.ca