Christiana Care recognized for exemplary surgical outcomes by American College of Surgeons

Christiana Care recognized for exemplary surgical outcomes by American College of Surgeons

knee replacement surgery
Christiana Care has been recognized for outstanding surgical outcomes by the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Christiana Care Health System has been recognized as one of 28 hospitals in the nation achieving exemplary outcomes for surgical patient care.

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) recognized participating hospitals for achieving exemplary outcomes in five clinical areas:

  • DVT (deep vein thrombosis, thrombophlebitis and pulmonary embolism).
  • Cardiac incidents (cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction).
  • Pneumonia.
  • Surgical site infections (superficial and deep incisional and organ-space infections).
  • Urinary tract infections.

“Participation in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, sponsored by the American College of Surgeons, is required for maintenance of certification for surgeons and allows Christiana Care to compare our outcomes with similar surgical departments throughout the United States,” said Michael Rhodes, M.D., chair of the Department of Surgery at Christiana Care. “This national recognition reflects the dedication of our physicians, nurses and support staff to provide optimal care to our patients requiring surgical services.”

As a participant in ACS NSQIP, Christiana Care is required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures and collect data that directs patient safety and the quality of surgical care improvements.

According to the American Hospital Association, Christiana Care ranks among the nation’s leaders in the number of surgical procedures, performing more than 40,000 each year. These range from common to highly complex, minimally invasive and robotic procedures.

The 28 hospitals commended achieved the distinction of attaining exemplary results in two or more of the five areas listed above. Risk-adjusted data from the July 2012 ACS NSQIP Semiannual Report determines which hospitals demonstrated exemplary outcomes.

ACS NSQIP is the only nationally validated quality improvement program that measures and enhances the care of surgical patients. The program measures the actual surgical results 30 days postoperatively and risk-adjusts patient characteristics to compensate for differences among patient populations and acuity levels.

The goal of ACS NSQIP is to reduce surgical morbidity (infection or illness related to a surgical procedure) and surgical mortality (death related to a surgical procedure) and to provide a firm foundation for surgeons to apply what is known as the “best scientific evidence” to the practice of surgery. Furthermore, when adverse effects from surgical procedures are reduced or eliminated, a reduction in health care costs follows. The ACS NSQIP is a major program of the American College of Surgeons and is in use in more than 500 hospitals.

Founded in 1913, ACS has more than 78,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. It seeks to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the care of the surgical patient.

Top