News From the College

The ACS hosted more than 80 health care leaders at the ACS Surgical Health Care Quality Forum in Houston, TX, on Sept. 10 to discuss how programs focused on surgical quality and education can reduce patient complications and readmissions, resulting in lower costs and greater health care value.

Area leaders representing institutions of the Texas Medical Center – the world’s largest hub for medical care and innovation – highlighted the influence of rigorous medical skills training and proven surgical quality programs on the overall state of health care in Texas and across the nation, using programs such as the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, and Education (MITIE) and the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) as proven models of success.

"As surgeons get deeper into practice, our outcomes are only as good as we are – and continue to be – as new procedures and technologies are introduced that can make a considerable difference for patients," said forum co-host Barbara Lee Bass, MD, FACS, John F. and Carolyn Bookout Distinguished Endowed Chair of Surgery, The Methodist Hospital; executive director of MITIE; professor of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College; and former ACS Regent. "MITIE is a unique program designed to help surgeons ‘re-tool’ their skills to stay on top of and safely deploy innovative technologies that will allow us to deliver better care," Dr. Bass added.

Keynote speaker U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D) encouraged members of the Houston surgical and health care communities to continue working with lawmakers to pursue important health policies.

"I commend the American College of Surgeons as well as the Texas Medical Center for their leadership and proactively taking steps to improve quality for patients throughout Texas," said Rep. Jackson Lee. "It is crucial that we are partners together and that policymakers have more give and take with physicians in order to understand how best to improve."

"It’s critical that the clinical teams on the front lines of patient care are engaged in the important dialogue around improving quality," said forum co-host H. Randolph Bailey, MD, FACS, chief of the division of colon and rectal surgery, The Methodist Hospital, professor of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, University of Texas Health Science Center, and ACS Regent. "We know what works, and what doesn’t work. If we aren’t part of the discussion and sharing knowledge with our colleagues and policy leaders in Washington, then we can’t be part of the solution."

The forum was part of the ACS Inspiring Quality initiative to drive national discussion around critical elements required for successful quality improvement programs. (For more information, go to http://inspiringquality.facs.org/.) Preventing a medical complication, which can raise the median cost of hospitalization for major surgical procedures up to five-fold, avoids additional expenditures including longer hospital stays and readmissions.

ACS NSQIP, a leading model for outcomes-based surgical quality improvement, collects clinical, risk-adjusted, 30-day outcomes data in a nationally benchmarked database. A study published in the Annals of Surgery in 2009 determined that hospitals participating in ACS NSQIP prevented 250-500 complications, resulting in an average of 12 to 36 lives saved per hospital, per year. With the average cost of medical complications equaling $11,000 per occurrence, the combined potential savings of 4,500 hospitals could add up to $13 to 26 billion each year, for an estimated total savings of $260 billion over a period of 10 years.

"Health care organizations need to do everything within their power to become safe, effective, and high-reliability operations," said panelist M. Michael Shabot, MD, FACS, FCCM, FACMI, system chief medical officer, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston. "Memorial Hermann is working to achieve this goal with close attention to performance metrics and by using all the College’s programs and accreditations, including the ACS NSQIP, Bariatric and Trauma data registries, and Bariatric, Trauma Center, and Commission on Cancer certifications. The ACS Surgeon Specific Registry is also useful for individual surgeons to monitor personal performance."

Using ACS NSQIP to compare their results with hospitals nationwide, participating hospitals are able to identify areas where they may be underperforming and develop clinical performance improvement initiatives, as well as foster and improve internal education.

"There is a real science behind creating a quality improvement team. One critical element is working closely with all of the providers and sharing quality assessment feedback regularly," said panelist Thomas A. Aloia, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgical oncology, program director, AHPBA (American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association) Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Fellowship, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.

"Because quality improvement programs are used to safeguard patient care, it is crucial that quality improvement data is peer-reviewed and physician-driven," said panelist Kenneth L. Mattox, MD, FACS, distinguished service professor, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, chief of staff/chief of surgery, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston. "Physicians, surgeons and nurses need to be the major overriding voice in their institution when quality improvement protocol is being established."

"When done correctly, outcomes or comparative effectiveness research using population-based data such as ACS NSQIP can play a critical role in the quality improvement process at the local, regional, and national level," said panelist Taylor S. Riall, MD, PhD, FACS, John Sealy Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research, Director, Center for Comparative Effectiveness and Cancer Outcomes, associate professor, department of surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.

Just as all quality improvement is local, not all measurement is created equal, specifically in pediatric surgery. The ACS NSQIP Pediatric program, while still in its infancy, is helping to support quality improvement in children’s hospitals.

"ACS NSQIP Pediatric is important because it provides risk-adjusted outcomes data that children’s hospitals can use for comparison – something that often is difficult to do because of the infrequent nature of health problems among pediatric patients," said panelist Kevin P. Lally, MD, MS, FACS, A.G. McNeese Chair in Pediatric Surgery, Richard Andrassy Distinguished Professor, professor and chairman, department of pediatric surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston. "As with the adult ACS NSQIP, if there are national reporting standards that are based on ACS NSQIP, hospitals will use it." 

An important theme emerged at the program: Physicians must be involved in the pursuit of quality improvement, whether by leading the charge with their institutions to implement programs like ACS NSQIP, or working with their patients to encourage healthy lifestyle choices, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.

"Our country is seeing a changing paradigm from ‘sickness care’ to ‘health care,’ and in order to expedite this transition we need to equip people with the tools and education necessary to keep themselves healthy so we can focus resources on conditions that are largely unpreventable," said panelist Richard E. Wainerdi, PE, PhD, president and chief executive officer, Texas Medical Center, Houston. "I see great opportunity for surgeons to become engaged leaders in their local communities and help drive this type of quality improvement as well."

The next Surgical Health Care Forum will take place in New York, NY, on Nov. 16. Archived videos and upcoming tour locations may be found at http://inspiringquality.facs.org or the College’s YouTube channel.

The ACS hosted more than 80 health care leaders at the ACS Surgical Health Care Quality Forum in Houston, TX, on Sept. 10 to discuss how programs focused on surgical quality and education can reduce patient complications and readmissions, resulting in lower costs and greater health care value.

Area leaders representing institutions of the Texas Medical Center – the world’s largest hub for medical care and innovation – highlighted the influence of rigorous medical skills training and proven surgical quality programs on the overall state of health care in Texas and across the nation, using programs such as the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, and Education (MITIE) and the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) as proven models of success.

"As surgeons get deeper into practice, our outcomes are only as good as we are – and continue to be – as new procedures and technologies are introduced that can make a considerable difference for patients," said forum co-host Barbara Lee Bass, MD, FACS, John F. and Carolyn Bookout Distinguished Endowed Chair of Surgery, The Methodist Hospital; executive director of MITIE; professor of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College; and former ACS Regent. "MITIE is a unique program designed to help surgeons ‘re-tool’ their skills to stay on top of and safely deploy innovative technologies that will allow us to deliver better care," Dr. Bass added.

Keynote speaker U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D) encouraged members of the Houston surgical and health care communities to continue working with lawmakers to pursue important health policies.

"I commend the American College of Surgeons as well as the Texas Medical Center for their leadership and proactively taking steps to improve quality for patients throughout Texas," said Rep. Jackson Lee. "It is crucial that we are partners together and that policymakers have more give and take with physicians in order to understand how best to improve."

"It’s critical that the clinical teams on the front lines of patient care are engaged in the important dialogue around improving quality," said forum co-host H. Randolph Bailey, MD, FACS, chief of the division of colon and rectal surgery, The Methodist Hospital, professor of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, University of Texas Health Science Center, and ACS Regent. "We know what works, and what doesn’t work. If we aren’t part of the discussion and sharing knowledge with our colleagues and policy leaders in Washington, then we can’t be part of the solution."

The forum was part of the ACS Inspiring Quality initiative to drive national discussion around critical elements required for successful quality improvement programs. (For more information, go to http://inspiringquality.facs.org/.) Preventing a medical complication, which can raise the median cost of hospitalization for major surgical procedures up to five-fold, avoids additional expenditures including longer hospital stays and readmissions.

ACS NSQIP, a leading model for outcomes-based surgical quality improvement, collects clinical, risk-adjusted, 30-day outcomes data in a nationally benchmarked database. A study published in the Annals of Surgery in 2009 determined that hospitals participating in ACS NSQIP prevented 250-500 complications, resulting in an average of 12 to 36 lives saved per hospital, per year. With the average cost of medical complications equaling $11,000 per occurrence, the combined potential savings of 4,500 hospitals could add up to $13 to 26 billion each year, for an estimated total savings of $260 billion over a period of 10 years.

"Health care organizations need to do everything within their power to become safe, effective, and high-reliability operations," said panelist M. Michael Shabot, MD, FACS, FCCM, FACMI, system chief medical officer, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston. "Memorial Hermann is working to achieve this goal with close attention to performance metrics and by using all the College’s programs and accreditations, including the ACS NSQIP, Bariatric and Trauma data registries, and Bariatric, Trauma Center, and Commission on Cancer certifications. The ACS Surgeon Specific Registry is also useful for individual surgeons to monitor personal performance."

Using ACS NSQIP to compare their results with hospitals nationwide, participating hospitals are able to identify areas where they may be underperforming and develop clinical performance improvement initiatives, as well as foster and improve internal education.

"There is a real science behind creating a quality improvement team. One critical element is working closely with all of the providers and sharing quality assessment feedback regularly," said panelist Thomas A. Aloia, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgical oncology, program director, AHPBA (American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association) Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Fellowship, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.

"Because quality improvement programs are used to safeguard patient care, it is crucial that quality improvement data is peer-reviewed and physician-driven," said panelist Kenneth L. Mattox, MD, FACS, distinguished service professor, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, chief of staff/chief of surgery, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston. "Physicians, surgeons and nurses need to be the major overriding voice in their institution when quality improvement protocol is being established."

"When done correctly, outcomes or comparative effectiveness research using population-based data such as ACS NSQIP can play a critical role in the quality improvement process at the local, regional, and national level," said panelist Taylor S. Riall, MD, PhD, FACS, John Sealy Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research, Director, Center for Comparative Effectiveness and Cancer Outcomes, associate professor, department of surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.

Just as all quality improvement is local, not all measurement is created equal, specifically in pediatric surgery. The ACS NSQIP Pediatric program, while still in its infancy, is helping to support quality improvement in children’s hospitals.

"ACS NSQIP Pediatric is important because it provides risk-adjusted outcomes data that children’s hospitals can use for comparison – something that often is difficult to do because of the infrequent nature of health problems among pediatric patients," said panelist Kevin P. Lally, MD, MS, FACS, A.G. McNeese Chair in Pediatric Surgery, Richard Andrassy Distinguished Professor, professor and chairman, department of pediatric surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston. "As with the adult ACS NSQIP, if there are national reporting standards that are based on ACS NSQIP, hospitals will use it." 

An important theme emerged at the program: Physicians must be involved in the pursuit of quality improvement, whether by leading the charge with their institutions to implement programs like ACS NSQIP, or working with their patients to encourage healthy lifestyle choices, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.

"Our country is seeing a changing paradigm from ‘sickness care’ to ‘health care,’ and in order to expedite this transition we need to equip people with the tools and education necessary to keep themselves healthy so we can focus resources on conditions that are largely unpreventable," said panelist Richard E. Wainerdi, PE, PhD, president and chief executive officer, Texas Medical Center, Houston. "I see great opportunity for surgeons to become engaged leaders in their local communities and help drive this type of quality improvement as well."

The next Surgical Health Care Forum will take place in New York, NY, on Nov. 16. Archived videos and upcoming tour locations may be found at http://inspiringquality.facs.org or the College’s YouTube channel.

The ACS hosted more than 80 health care leaders at the ACS Surgical Health Care Quality Forum in Houston, TX, on Sept. 10 to discuss how programs focused on surgical quality and education can reduce patient complications and readmissions, resulting in lower costs and greater health care value.

Area leaders representing institutions of the Texas Medical Center – the world’s largest hub for medical care and innovation – highlighted the influence of rigorous medical skills training and proven surgical quality programs on the overall state of health care in Texas and across the nation, using programs such as the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, and Education (MITIE) and the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) as proven models of success.

"As surgeons get deeper into practice, our outcomes are only as good as we are – and continue to be – as new procedures and technologies are introduced that can make a considerable difference for patients," said forum co-host Barbara Lee Bass, MD, FACS, John F. and Carolyn Bookout Distinguished Endowed Chair of Surgery, The Methodist Hospital; executive director of MITIE; professor of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College; and former ACS Regent. "MITIE is a unique program designed to help surgeons ‘re-tool’ their skills to stay on top of and safely deploy innovative technologies that will allow us to deliver better care," Dr. Bass added.

Keynote speaker U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D) encouraged members of the Houston surgical and health care communities to continue working with lawmakers to pursue important health policies.

"I commend the American College of Surgeons as well as the Texas Medical Center for their leadership and proactively taking steps to improve quality for patients throughout Texas," said Rep. Jackson Lee. "It is crucial that we are partners together and that policymakers have more give and take with physicians in order to understand how best to improve."

"It’s critical that the clinical teams on the front lines of patient care are engaged in the important dialogue around improving quality," said forum co-host H. Randolph Bailey, MD, FACS, chief of the division of colon and rectal surgery, The Methodist Hospital, professor of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, University of Texas Health Science Center, and ACS Regent. "We know what works, and what doesn’t work. If we aren’t part of the discussion and sharing knowledge with our colleagues and policy leaders in Washington, then we can’t be part of the solution."

The forum was part of the ACS Inspiring Quality initiative to drive national discussion around critical elements required for successful quality improvement programs. (For more information, go to http://inspiringquality.facs.org/.) Preventing a medical complication, which can raise the median cost of hospitalization for major surgical procedures up to five-fold, avoids additional expenditures including longer hospital stays and readmissions.

ACS NSQIP, a leading model for outcomes-based surgical quality improvement, collects clinical, risk-adjusted, 30-day outcomes data in a nationally benchmarked database. A study published in the Annals of Surgery in 2009 determined that hospitals participating in ACS NSQIP prevented 250-500 complications, resulting in an average of 12 to 36 lives saved per hospital, per year. With the average cost of medical complications equaling $11,000 per occurrence, the combined potential savings of 4,500 hospitals could add up to $13 to 26 billion each year, for an estimated total savings of $260 billion over a period of 10 years.

"Health care organizations need to do everything within their power to become safe, effective, and high-reliability operations," said panelist M. Michael Shabot, MD, FACS, FCCM, FACMI, system chief medical officer, Memorial Hermann Healthcare System, Houston. "Memorial Hermann is working to achieve this goal with close attention to performance metrics and by using all the College’s programs and accreditations, including the ACS NSQIP, Bariatric and Trauma data registries, and Bariatric, Trauma Center, and Commission on Cancer certifications. The ACS Surgeon Specific Registry is also useful for individual surgeons to monitor personal performance."

Using ACS NSQIP to compare their results with hospitals nationwide, participating hospitals are able to identify areas where they may be underperforming and develop clinical performance improvement initiatives, as well as foster and improve internal education.

"There is a real science behind creating a quality improvement team. One critical element is working closely with all of the providers and sharing quality assessment feedback regularly," said panelist Thomas A. Aloia, MD, FACS, assistant professor of surgical oncology, program director, AHPBA (American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association) Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Fellowship, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston.

"Because quality improvement programs are used to safeguard patient care, it is crucial that quality improvement data is peer-reviewed and physician-driven," said panelist Kenneth L. Mattox, MD, FACS, distinguished service professor, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, chief of staff/chief of surgery, Ben Taub General Hospital, Houston. "Physicians, surgeons and nurses need to be the major overriding voice in their institution when quality improvement protocol is being established."

"When done correctly, outcomes or comparative effectiveness research using population-based data such as ACS NSQIP can play a critical role in the quality improvement process at the local, regional, and national level," said panelist Taylor S. Riall, MD, PhD, FACS, John Sealy Distinguished Chair in Clinical Research, Director, Center for Comparative Effectiveness and Cancer Outcomes, associate professor, department of surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston.

Just as all quality improvement is local, not all measurement is created equal, specifically in pediatric surgery. The ACS NSQIP Pediatric program, while still in its infancy, is helping to support quality improvement in children’s hospitals.

"ACS NSQIP Pediatric is important because it provides risk-adjusted outcomes data that children’s hospitals can use for comparison – something that often is difficult to do because of the infrequent nature of health problems among pediatric patients," said panelist Kevin P. Lally, MD, MS, FACS, A.G. McNeese Chair in Pediatric Surgery, Richard Andrassy Distinguished Professor, professor and chairman, department of pediatric surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston. "As with the adult ACS NSQIP, if there are national reporting standards that are based on ACS NSQIP, hospitals will use it." 

An important theme emerged at the program: Physicians must be involved in the pursuit of quality improvement, whether by leading the charge with their institutions to implement programs like ACS NSQIP, or working with their patients to encourage healthy lifestyle choices, ultimately leading to better health outcomes.

"Our country is seeing a changing paradigm from ‘sickness care’ to ‘health care,’ and in order to expedite this transition we need to equip people with the tools and education necessary to keep themselves healthy so we can focus resources on conditions that are largely unpreventable," said panelist Richard E. Wainerdi, PE, PhD, president and chief executive officer, Texas Medical Center, Houston. "I see great opportunity for surgeons to become engaged leaders in their local communities and help drive this type of quality improvement as well."

The next Surgical Health Care Forum will take place in New York, NY, on Nov. 16. Archived videos and upcoming tour locations may be found at http://inspiringquality.facs.org or the College’s YouTube channel.

The ACS awarded its Faculty Research Fellowships for 2012 earlier this year. These 2-year Fellowships are offered to surgeons entering careers in surgery or a surgical specialty and carry awards of $40,000 per year from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2014.

Faculty Research Fellowships are sponsored by the Scholarship Endowment Fund of the College. The Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons honors the founder of the ACS. The C. James Carrico, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellowship for the Study of Trauma and Critical Care honors the late Dr. Carrico. The Louis Argenta, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellowship is presented by Kinetic Concepts, Inc., to support research in wound healing and is presented in honor of Dr. Argenta, who is a plastic surgeon; this fellowship is 1 year in length.

The recipients of these fellowships are as follows:

• Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellow: Derrick C. Wan, MD, assistant professor of surgery, Stanford University, CA. Research project: Epigenetic Regulation of Adipose-Derived Stromal Cell Differentiation.

• C. James Carrico, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellow: Rachel G. Khadaroo, MD, FACS, FRCSC, assistant professor of surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton. Research project: The Role of Oncostatin M in Organ Injury Following Acute Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion.

• Louis Argenta, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellow: Kimberly J. Riehle, MD, acting assistant professor of surgery, University of Washington, Seattle. Research project: Improving Regeneration in the Fibrotic Liver.

Additional Faculty Research Fellowships for 2012–2014 were awarded to:

• Philip Wai, MD, assistant professor of surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL. Research project: Inhibition of Circulating Osteopontin Inhibits Growth and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Cancer.

• Parsia A. Vagefi, MD, assistant in surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Research project: Creation of Chimeric Pig Liver Xenografts Utilizing Baboon Bone Marrow Transplantation: The Potential of Surrogate Tolerance.

To view the description and requirements for this program, click here. The application deadline for the 2013 Faculty Research Fellowships is Nov. 1, 2012.

The Scholarship Endowment Fund was established to provide income to fund scholarships and fellowships awarded by the Board of Regents. Direct contributions to support the Scholarship Endowment Fund are welcome. Fellows wishing to make tax-deductible gifts to fund these vital programs are encouraged to contact the ACS Foundation at 312-202-5338.

The ACS awarded its Faculty Research Fellowships for 2012 earlier this year. These 2-year Fellowships are offered to surgeons entering careers in surgery or a surgical specialty and carry awards of $40,000 per year from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2014.

Faculty Research Fellowships are sponsored by the Scholarship Endowment Fund of the College. The Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons honors the founder of the ACS. The C. James Carrico, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellowship for the Study of Trauma and Critical Care honors the late Dr. Carrico. The Louis Argenta, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellowship is presented by Kinetic Concepts, Inc., to support research in wound healing and is presented in honor of Dr. Argenta, who is a plastic surgeon; this fellowship is 1 year in length.

The recipients of these fellowships are as follows:

• Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellow: Derrick C. Wan, MD, assistant professor of surgery, Stanford University, CA. Research project: Epigenetic Regulation of Adipose-Derived Stromal Cell Differentiation.

• C. James Carrico, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellow: Rachel G. Khadaroo, MD, FACS, FRCSC, assistant professor of surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton. Research project: The Role of Oncostatin M in Organ Injury Following Acute Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion.

• Louis Argenta, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellow: Kimberly J. Riehle, MD, acting assistant professor of surgery, University of Washington, Seattle. Research project: Improving Regeneration in the Fibrotic Liver.

Additional Faculty Research Fellowships for 2012–2014 were awarded to:

• Philip Wai, MD, assistant professor of surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL. Research project: Inhibition of Circulating Osteopontin Inhibits Growth and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Cancer.

• Parsia A. Vagefi, MD, assistant in surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Research project: Creation of Chimeric Pig Liver Xenografts Utilizing Baboon Bone Marrow Transplantation: The Potential of Surrogate Tolerance.

To view the description and requirements for this program, click here. The application deadline for the 2013 Faculty Research Fellowships is Nov. 1, 2012.

The Scholarship Endowment Fund was established to provide income to fund scholarships and fellowships awarded by the Board of Regents. Direct contributions to support the Scholarship Endowment Fund are welcome. Fellows wishing to make tax-deductible gifts to fund these vital programs are encouraged to contact the ACS Foundation at 312-202-5338.

The ACS awarded its Faculty Research Fellowships for 2012 earlier this year. These 2-year Fellowships are offered to surgeons entering careers in surgery or a surgical specialty and carry awards of $40,000 per year from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2014.

Faculty Research Fellowships are sponsored by the Scholarship Endowment Fund of the College. The Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellowship of the American College of Surgeons honors the founder of the ACS. The C. James Carrico, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellowship for the Study of Trauma and Critical Care honors the late Dr. Carrico. The Louis Argenta, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellowship is presented by Kinetic Concepts, Inc., to support research in wound healing and is presented in honor of Dr. Argenta, who is a plastic surgeon; this fellowship is 1 year in length.

The recipients of these fellowships are as follows:

• Franklin H. Martin, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellow: Derrick C. Wan, MD, assistant professor of surgery, Stanford University, CA. Research project: Epigenetic Regulation of Adipose-Derived Stromal Cell Differentiation.

• C. James Carrico, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellow: Rachel G. Khadaroo, MD, FACS, FRCSC, assistant professor of surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton. Research project: The Role of Oncostatin M in Organ Injury Following Acute Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion.

• Louis Argenta, MD, FACS, Faculty Research Fellow: Kimberly J. Riehle, MD, acting assistant professor of surgery, University of Washington, Seattle. Research project: Improving Regeneration in the Fibrotic Liver.

Additional Faculty Research Fellowships for 2012–2014 were awarded to:

• Philip Wai, MD, assistant professor of surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL. Research project: Inhibition of Circulating Osteopontin Inhibits Growth and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Cancer.

• Parsia A. Vagefi, MD, assistant in surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Research project: Creation of Chimeric Pig Liver Xenografts Utilizing Baboon Bone Marrow Transplantation: The Potential of Surrogate Tolerance.

To view the description and requirements for this program, click here. The application deadline for the 2013 Faculty Research Fellowships is Nov. 1, 2012.

The Scholarship Endowment Fund was established to provide income to fund scholarships and fellowships awarded by the Board of Regents. Direct contributions to support the Scholarship Endowment Fund are welcome. Fellows wishing to make tax-deductible gifts to fund these vital programs are encouraged to contact the ACS Foundation at 312-202-5338.

Six Resident Research Scholarships for 2012 were awarded earlier this year. The scholarships, offered to encourage residents to pursue careers in academic surgery, carry awards of $30,000 for each of 2 years, beginning July 1, 2012. These scholarships are sponsored by the Scholarship Endowment Fund of the College.

Recipients are as follows:

• Prassana Alluri, MD, resident in surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Research project: An Integrated Approach Towards Targeted Therapy for Prostate Cancer and Other Epithelial Cancers.

• Christopher Tignanelli, MD, resident in surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Research project: Targeting KRAS Mutant Colorectal Cancer.

• Benjamin Bryner, MD, resident in surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Research project: Development of an Artificial Placenta for Premature Infants.

• Mahua Dey, MD, resident in neurosurgery, University of Chicago. Research project: Role of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Malignant Glioma Progression.

• Leonid Cherkassky, MD, resident in surgery, Brown University, Providence, RI. Research being undertaken at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. Research project: Immunomodulation of the Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Microenvironment by TGF-ß Inhibiting Cancer-Antigen Targeted T Cells.

• Lung-Yi Felix Lee, MD, resident in surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Research project: Targeting Nrf2 in Hepatic Stellate Cells: a Novel Strategy to Mitigate Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

To view a description and requirements for these research-oriented scholarships, click here.

The Scholarship Endowment Fund provides income to fund scholarships and fellowships awarded by the Board of Regents. Direct contributions to support the Scholarship Endowment Fund are welcome. Fellows wishing to make tax-deductible gifts to fund these vital programs are encouraged to contact the ACS Foundation at 312-202-5139.

Six Resident Research Scholarships for 2012 were awarded earlier this year. The scholarships, offered to encourage residents to pursue careers in academic surgery, carry awards of $30,000 for each of 2 years, beginning July 1, 2012. These scholarships are sponsored by the Scholarship Endowment Fund of the College.

Recipients are as follows:

• Prassana Alluri, MD, resident in surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Research project: An Integrated Approach Towards Targeted Therapy for Prostate Cancer and Other Epithelial Cancers.

• Christopher Tignanelli, MD, resident in surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Research project: Targeting KRAS Mutant Colorectal Cancer.

• Benjamin Bryner, MD, resident in surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Research project: Development of an Artificial Placenta for Premature Infants.

• Mahua Dey, MD, resident in neurosurgery, University of Chicago. Research project: Role of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Malignant Glioma Progression.

• Leonid Cherkassky, MD, resident in surgery, Brown University, Providence, RI. Research being undertaken at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. Research project: Immunomodulation of the Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Microenvironment by TGF-ß Inhibiting Cancer-Antigen Targeted T Cells.

• Lung-Yi Felix Lee, MD, resident in surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Research project: Targeting Nrf2 in Hepatic Stellate Cells: a Novel Strategy to Mitigate Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

To view a description and requirements for these research-oriented scholarships, click here.

The Scholarship Endowment Fund provides income to fund scholarships and fellowships awarded by the Board of Regents. Direct contributions to support the Scholarship Endowment Fund are welcome. Fellows wishing to make tax-deductible gifts to fund these vital programs are encouraged to contact the ACS Foundation at 312-202-5139.

Six Resident Research Scholarships for 2012 were awarded earlier this year. The scholarships, offered to encourage residents to pursue careers in academic surgery, carry awards of $30,000 for each of 2 years, beginning July 1, 2012. These scholarships are sponsored by the Scholarship Endowment Fund of the College.

Recipients are as follows:

• Prassana Alluri, MD, resident in surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Research project: An Integrated Approach Towards Targeted Therapy for Prostate Cancer and Other Epithelial Cancers.

• Christopher Tignanelli, MD, resident in surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Research project: Targeting KRAS Mutant Colorectal Cancer.

• Benjamin Bryner, MD, resident in surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Research project: Development of an Artificial Placenta for Premature Infants.

• Mahua Dey, MD, resident in neurosurgery, University of Chicago. Research project: Role of Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells in Malignant Glioma Progression.

• Leonid Cherkassky, MD, resident in surgery, Brown University, Providence, RI. Research being undertaken at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. Research project: Immunomodulation of the Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma Microenvironment by TGF-ß Inhibiting Cancer-Antigen Targeted T Cells.

• Lung-Yi Felix Lee, MD, resident in surgery, University of Wisconsin-Madison. Research project: Targeting Nrf2 in Hepatic Stellate Cells: a Novel Strategy to Mitigate Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

To view a description and requirements for these research-oriented scholarships, click here.

The Scholarship Endowment Fund provides income to fund scholarships and fellowships awarded by the Board of Regents. Direct contributions to support the Scholarship Endowment Fund are welcome. Fellows wishing to make tax-deductible gifts to fund these vital programs are encouraged to contact the ACS Foundation at 312-202-5139.

The ACS hosted nearly 120 health care leaders at the ACS Surgical Health Care Quality Forum in Chattanooga, TN, on Aug. 6. The forum was part of "Quality Improvement Day" at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Tennessee Chapter of the ACS, as well as of the larger ACS Inspiring Quality initiative to drive a national discussion regarding critical elements of successful quality improvement programs. The event underscored how quality improvement programs and collaboration within the health care community may lead to improved patient outcomes and reduced health care costs.

Speakers at the Tennessee forum highlighted the success of the Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative (TSQC), the first collaborative of the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) to form a three-way quality improvement relationship among hospitals, health plans, and surgeons.

Joseph B. Cofer, MD, FACS, statewide surgeon champion for the collaborative, professor of surgery, and residency program director, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center–Chattanooga, and Vice-President of the ACS Tennessee Chapter, hosted the event, which featured keynote speaker Tennessee State Sen. Bo Watson (R). The senator discussed challenges associated with health care quality and cost management, the increased focus on outcomes-based performance measurement in Tennessee policy, and the need for more surgeons and health care leaders to share their expertise and inform effective health care policies.

"As the health care burden on states increases financially, there is nothing better than having health care leaders like Tennessee ACS, the Tennessee Hospital Association, and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee come together to improve care and reduce costs like the Tennessee collaborative is doing," said Senator Watson. "If policy makers are going to work toward improving health care delivery and access and reduce costs on a wider scale, we have to include those who are doing the work in the discussions to get it right the first time around."

The Tennessee collaborative has achieved significant improvements in surgical outcomes, such as reducing the rates of acute renal failure and surgical site infections. The collaborative also saved an estimated $2.2 million per 10,000 general and vascular surgery cases, or approximately $8 million overall (J. Am. Coll. Surgeons 2012;214:709-14).

"While previous studies demonstrated that participation in quality improvement programs such as ACS NSQIP have been shown to save lives, improve health, and reduce costs, we’ve proven that using ACS NSQIP in a collaborative as a force multiplier can take quality improvement to a whole new level," said Dr. Cofer.

Because of its success, TSQC has grown from 10 to 21 participating hospitals and received a $3.9 million grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to fund the program through 2014.

"For quality improvement to be truly successful in a collaborative setting, accountability needs to be shared across insurers, providers, and physicians to ensure we are collectively aligning resources and goals to better serve our patients," said Vicky Gregg, chief executive officer, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. "We are proud of the progress we’ve made in Tennessee and continue to support this model because we believe it has the key ingredients for long-term success."

Known as a model for outcomes-based quality improvement, ACS NSQIP collects clinical, risk-adjusted, 30-day outcomes data in a nationally benchmarked database. A study published in the Annals of Surgery in 2009 determined that hospitals participating in ACS NSQIP prevented 250 to 500 complications, resulting in an average of 12 to 36 lives saved per hospital annually. With the average cost of medical complications equaling $11,000 per occurrence, the combined potential savings of 4,500 hospitals could reach $13 billion to $26 billion each year (Ann Surg 2009;250:363-76).

"The Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative is a national model that policy makers such as CMS and CDC should look at to see how other health care leaders are working together to truly improve patient outcomes in a way that leads to cost savings," said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MSHA, FACS, Director, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. "Increasingly, health care decision-makers are recognizing the value of clinical, risk-adjusted, outcomes data to measure and improve quality. Beyond the robust data, we believe we can further enhance those improvements when surgeons from different hospitals share best practices together in a collaborative, supported by hospital leaders and health plans."

To encourage community-level health care leaders to continue sharing best practices on quality improvement, the ACS will host these forums throughout 2012. To view the archived forum video and future tour locations, click here.

The ACS hosted nearly 120 health care leaders at the ACS Surgical Health Care Quality Forum in Chattanooga, TN, on Aug. 6. The forum was part of "Quality Improvement Day" at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Tennessee Chapter of the ACS, as well as of the larger ACS Inspiring Quality initiative to drive a national discussion regarding critical elements of successful quality improvement programs. The event underscored how quality improvement programs and collaboration within the health care community may lead to improved patient outcomes and reduced health care costs.

Speakers at the Tennessee forum highlighted the success of the Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative (TSQC), the first collaborative of the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) to form a three-way quality improvement relationship among hospitals, health plans, and surgeons.

Joseph B. Cofer, MD, FACS, statewide surgeon champion for the collaborative, professor of surgery, and residency program director, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center–Chattanooga, and Vice-President of the ACS Tennessee Chapter, hosted the event, which featured keynote speaker Tennessee State Sen. Bo Watson (R). The senator discussed challenges associated with health care quality and cost management, the increased focus on outcomes-based performance measurement in Tennessee policy, and the need for more surgeons and health care leaders to share their expertise and inform effective health care policies.

"As the health care burden on states increases financially, there is nothing better than having health care leaders like Tennessee ACS, the Tennessee Hospital Association, and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee come together to improve care and reduce costs like the Tennessee collaborative is doing," said Senator Watson. "If policy makers are going to work toward improving health care delivery and access and reduce costs on a wider scale, we have to include those who are doing the work in the discussions to get it right the first time around."

The Tennessee collaborative has achieved significant improvements in surgical outcomes, such as reducing the rates of acute renal failure and surgical site infections. The collaborative also saved an estimated $2.2 million per 10,000 general and vascular surgery cases, or approximately $8 million overall (J. Am. Coll. Surgeons 2012;214:709-14).

"While previous studies demonstrated that participation in quality improvement programs such as ACS NSQIP have been shown to save lives, improve health, and reduce costs, we’ve proven that using ACS NSQIP in a collaborative as a force multiplier can take quality improvement to a whole new level," said Dr. Cofer.

Because of its success, TSQC has grown from 10 to 21 participating hospitals and received a $3.9 million grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to fund the program through 2014.

"For quality improvement to be truly successful in a collaborative setting, accountability needs to be shared across insurers, providers, and physicians to ensure we are collectively aligning resources and goals to better serve our patients," said Vicky Gregg, chief executive officer, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. "We are proud of the progress we’ve made in Tennessee and continue to support this model because we believe it has the key ingredients for long-term success."

Known as a model for outcomes-based quality improvement, ACS NSQIP collects clinical, risk-adjusted, 30-day outcomes data in a nationally benchmarked database. A study published in the Annals of Surgery in 2009 determined that hospitals participating in ACS NSQIP prevented 250 to 500 complications, resulting in an average of 12 to 36 lives saved per hospital annually. With the average cost of medical complications equaling $11,000 per occurrence, the combined potential savings of 4,500 hospitals could reach $13 billion to $26 billion each year (Ann Surg 2009;250:363-76).

"The Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative is a national model that policy makers such as CMS and CDC should look at to see how other health care leaders are working together to truly improve patient outcomes in a way that leads to cost savings," said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MSHA, FACS, Director, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. "Increasingly, health care decision-makers are recognizing the value of clinical, risk-adjusted, outcomes data to measure and improve quality. Beyond the robust data, we believe we can further enhance those improvements when surgeons from different hospitals share best practices together in a collaborative, supported by hospital leaders and health plans."

To encourage community-level health care leaders to continue sharing best practices on quality improvement, the ACS will host these forums throughout 2012. To view the archived forum video and future tour locations, click here.

The ACS hosted nearly 120 health care leaders at the ACS Surgical Health Care Quality Forum in Chattanooga, TN, on Aug. 6. The forum was part of "Quality Improvement Day" at the 2012 Annual Meeting of the Tennessee Chapter of the ACS, as well as of the larger ACS Inspiring Quality initiative to drive a national discussion regarding critical elements of successful quality improvement programs. The event underscored how quality improvement programs and collaboration within the health care community may lead to improved patient outcomes and reduced health care costs.

Speakers at the Tennessee forum highlighted the success of the Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative (TSQC), the first collaborative of the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) to form a three-way quality improvement relationship among hospitals, health plans, and surgeons.

Joseph B. Cofer, MD, FACS, statewide surgeon champion for the collaborative, professor of surgery, and residency program director, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center–Chattanooga, and Vice-President of the ACS Tennessee Chapter, hosted the event, which featured keynote speaker Tennessee State Sen. Bo Watson (R). The senator discussed challenges associated with health care quality and cost management, the increased focus on outcomes-based performance measurement in Tennessee policy, and the need for more surgeons and health care leaders to share their expertise and inform effective health care policies.

"As the health care burden on states increases financially, there is nothing better than having health care leaders like Tennessee ACS, the Tennessee Hospital Association, and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee come together to improve care and reduce costs like the Tennessee collaborative is doing," said Senator Watson. "If policy makers are going to work toward improving health care delivery and access and reduce costs on a wider scale, we have to include those who are doing the work in the discussions to get it right the first time around."

The Tennessee collaborative has achieved significant improvements in surgical outcomes, such as reducing the rates of acute renal failure and surgical site infections. The collaborative also saved an estimated $2.2 million per 10,000 general and vascular surgery cases, or approximately $8 million overall (J. Am. Coll. Surgeons 2012;214:709-14).

"While previous studies demonstrated that participation in quality improvement programs such as ACS NSQIP have been shown to save lives, improve health, and reduce costs, we’ve proven that using ACS NSQIP in a collaborative as a force multiplier can take quality improvement to a whole new level," said Dr. Cofer.

Because of its success, TSQC has grown from 10 to 21 participating hospitals and received a $3.9 million grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to fund the program through 2014.

"For quality improvement to be truly successful in a collaborative setting, accountability needs to be shared across insurers, providers, and physicians to ensure we are collectively aligning resources and goals to better serve our patients," said Vicky Gregg, chief executive officer, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. "We are proud of the progress we’ve made in Tennessee and continue to support this model because we believe it has the key ingredients for long-term success."

Known as a model for outcomes-based quality improvement, ACS NSQIP collects clinical, risk-adjusted, 30-day outcomes data in a nationally benchmarked database. A study published in the Annals of Surgery in 2009 determined that hospitals participating in ACS NSQIP prevented 250 to 500 complications, resulting in an average of 12 to 36 lives saved per hospital annually. With the average cost of medical complications equaling $11,000 per occurrence, the combined potential savings of 4,500 hospitals could reach $13 billion to $26 billion each year (Ann Surg 2009;250:363-76).

"The Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative is a national model that policy makers such as CMS and CDC should look at to see how other health care leaders are working together to truly improve patient outcomes in a way that leads to cost savings," said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MSHA, FACS, Director, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. "Increasingly, health care decision-makers are recognizing the value of clinical, risk-adjusted, outcomes data to measure and improve quality. Beyond the robust data, we believe we can further enhance those improvements when surgeons from different hospitals share best practices together in a collaborative, supported by hospital leaders and health plans."

To encourage community-level health care leaders to continue sharing best practices on quality improvement, the ACS will host these forums throughout 2012. To view the archived forum video and future tour locations, click here.

The International Relations Committee of the ACS sponsors three academic surgeon exchange programs through which talented, young North American surgeons are sent to the annual surgical meeting of the participating country. Afterward, they tour several sites tailored to their specific research interests. In exchange, the College accepts one of the participating country’s young academic surgeon-scholars to attend the College’s annual Clinical Congress. Arrangements are in place with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons with the ACS Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) Chapter, the Japan Surgical Society with the ACS Japan Chapter, and the German Surgical Society with the ACS Germany Chapter.

The exchange traveler for 2012 from Australia is John R. Beers, MBBS, FRACS. A consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the Alfred Hospital in Kew, Victoria, he has written extensively on reconstructive surgery, including hand surgery, burn repair, and limb salvage. He is also one of the authors of The Intern Manual. His U.S. counterpart, Vikram S. Kashyap, MD, FACS, co-director of Harrington-McLaughlin Heart and Vascular Institute of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, attended the Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in May 2012.

In October 2012, the College will welcome the Japan Exchange Fellow Shuhei Komatsu, MD, PhD, assistant professor of digestive surgery at Kyoto Prefectural University, Japan. Dr. Komatsu’s research focuses on surgical oncology, laparoscopic surgery, and study of the biomarkers that affect inheritance of cancer. Stephen R. Grobmyer, MD, FACS, director of surgical oncology at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, attended the Japan Surgical Society meeting in Chiba in April 2012.

ACS Traveling Fellow Emad Kandil, MD, FACS, Edward G.T. Schlieder Chair of Surgical Oncology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA, attended the German Surgical Society’s annual meeting in Berlin in April.

Dr. Kandil’s German counterpart, Marco Niedergethmann, MD, PhD, of Mannheim, Germany, will attend the ACS Clinical Congress this year. Dr. Niedergethmann will also visit several surgical sites with the guidance of his mentors at home and in the United States. Dr. Niedergethmann is a surgical oncologist interested in liver, bile duct, and pancreatic surgery.

Reports by Dr. Grobmyer and Dr. Kandil will be published in the October Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons.

The International Relations Committee of the ACS sponsors three academic surgeon exchange programs through which talented, young North American surgeons are sent to the annual surgical meeting of the participating country. Afterward, they tour several sites tailored to their specific research interests. In exchange, the College accepts one of the participating country’s young academic surgeon-scholars to attend the College’s annual Clinical Congress. Arrangements are in place with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons with the ACS Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) Chapter, the Japan Surgical Society with the ACS Japan Chapter, and the German Surgical Society with the ACS Germany Chapter.

The exchange traveler for 2012 from Australia is John R. Beers, MBBS, FRACS. A consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the Alfred Hospital in Kew, Victoria, he has written extensively on reconstructive surgery, including hand surgery, burn repair, and limb salvage. He is also one of the authors of The Intern Manual. His U.S. counterpart, Vikram S. Kashyap, MD, FACS, co-director of Harrington-McLaughlin Heart and Vascular Institute of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, attended the Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in May 2012.

In October 2012, the College will welcome the Japan Exchange Fellow Shuhei Komatsu, MD, PhD, assistant professor of digestive surgery at Kyoto Prefectural University, Japan. Dr. Komatsu’s research focuses on surgical oncology, laparoscopic surgery, and study of the biomarkers that affect inheritance of cancer. Stephen R. Grobmyer, MD, FACS, director of surgical oncology at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, attended the Japan Surgical Society meeting in Chiba in April 2012.

ACS Traveling Fellow Emad Kandil, MD, FACS, Edward G.T. Schlieder Chair of Surgical Oncology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA, attended the German Surgical Society’s annual meeting in Berlin in April.

Dr. Kandil’s German counterpart, Marco Niedergethmann, MD, PhD, of Mannheim, Germany, will attend the ACS Clinical Congress this year. Dr. Niedergethmann will also visit several surgical sites with the guidance of his mentors at home and in the United States. Dr. Niedergethmann is a surgical oncologist interested in liver, bile duct, and pancreatic surgery.

Reports by Dr. Grobmyer and Dr. Kandil will be published in the October Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons.

The International Relations Committee of the ACS sponsors three academic surgeon exchange programs through which talented, young North American surgeons are sent to the annual surgical meeting of the participating country. Afterward, they tour several sites tailored to their specific research interests. In exchange, the College accepts one of the participating country’s young academic surgeon-scholars to attend the College’s annual Clinical Congress. Arrangements are in place with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons with the ACS Australia-New Zealand (ANZ) Chapter, the Japan Surgical Society with the ACS Japan Chapter, and the German Surgical Society with the ACS Germany Chapter.

The exchange traveler for 2012 from Australia is John R. Beers, MBBS, FRACS. A consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon at the Alfred Hospital in Kew, Victoria, he has written extensively on reconstructive surgery, including hand surgery, burn repair, and limb salvage. He is also one of the authors of The Intern Manual. His U.S. counterpart, Vikram S. Kashyap, MD, FACS, co-director of Harrington-McLaughlin Heart and Vascular Institute of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, attended the Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in May 2012.

In October 2012, the College will welcome the Japan Exchange Fellow Shuhei Komatsu, MD, PhD, assistant professor of digestive surgery at Kyoto Prefectural University, Japan. Dr. Komatsu’s research focuses on surgical oncology, laparoscopic surgery, and study of the biomarkers that affect inheritance of cancer. Stephen R. Grobmyer, MD, FACS, director of surgical oncology at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, attended the Japan Surgical Society meeting in Chiba in April 2012.

ACS Traveling Fellow Emad Kandil, MD, FACS, Edward G.T. Schlieder Chair of Surgical Oncology at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA, attended the German Surgical Society’s annual meeting in Berlin in April.

Dr. Kandil’s German counterpart, Marco Niedergethmann, MD, PhD, of Mannheim, Germany, will attend the ACS Clinical Congress this year. Dr. Niedergethmann will also visit several surgical sites with the guidance of his mentors at home and in the United States. Dr. Niedergethmann is a surgical oncologist interested in liver, bile duct, and pancreatic surgery.

Reports by Dr. Grobmyer and Dr. Kandil will be published in the October Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons.

More than 900 surgeons and other health care professionals participated in this year’s American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) National Conference in July.

Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MSHA, FACS, Director of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, discussed ACS products and services to be released to ACS NSQIP participating institutions: clinical support fact sheets, a preoperative risk calculator, a surgeon tool kit, and a new guideline for surgery in the elderly.

At a breakfast roundtable, David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, ACS Executive Director, asked surgeons to help foster a culture of quality improvement and sought their assistance in expanding ACS NSQIP’s proven ability to improve surgical outcomes and patient care.

To view the ACS NSQIP website, click here.

More than 900 surgeons and other health care professionals participated in this year’s American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) National Conference in July.

Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MSHA, FACS, Director of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, discussed ACS products and services to be released to ACS NSQIP participating institutions: clinical support fact sheets, a preoperative risk calculator, a surgeon tool kit, and a new guideline for surgery in the elderly.

At a breakfast roundtable, David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, ACS Executive Director, asked surgeons to help foster a culture of quality improvement and sought their assistance in expanding ACS NSQIP’s proven ability to improve surgical outcomes and patient care.

To view the ACS NSQIP website, click here.

More than 900 surgeons and other health care professionals participated in this year’s American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) National Conference in July.

Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MSHA, FACS, Director of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, discussed ACS products and services to be released to ACS NSQIP participating institutions: clinical support fact sheets, a preoperative risk calculator, a surgeon tool kit, and a new guideline for surgery in the elderly.

At a breakfast roundtable, David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, ACS Executive Director, asked surgeons to help foster a culture of quality improvement and sought their assistance in expanding ACS NSQIP’s proven ability to improve surgical outcomes and patient care.

To view the ACS NSQIP website, click here.

Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MSHA, FACS, Director of the Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care and the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) met Aug. 2 with congressional staff who handle health policy issues. He provided an overview of ACS NSQIP and described its potential utility in reducing health care costs.

To view the ACS NSQIP site, click here. Named "Best in Nation" by the Institute of Medicine for measuring and reporting surgical quality and outcomes, ACS NSQIP is a nationally validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based approach to performance measurement and quality improvement. On average, ACS NSQIP has helped participating hospitals to prevent 250 to 500 complications and save 12 to 36 lives each year. ACS NSQIP estimates that if 4,500 hospitals across the nation used the program, the potential savings would be $13 billion to $26 billion annually.

Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MSHA, FACS, Director of the Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care and the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) met Aug. 2 with congressional staff who handle health policy issues. He provided an overview of ACS NSQIP and described its potential utility in reducing health care costs.

To view the ACS NSQIP site, click here. Named "Best in Nation" by the Institute of Medicine for measuring and reporting surgical quality and outcomes, ACS NSQIP is a nationally validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based approach to performance measurement and quality improvement. On average, ACS NSQIP has helped participating hospitals to prevent 250 to 500 complications and save 12 to 36 lives each year. ACS NSQIP estimates that if 4,500 hospitals across the nation used the program, the potential savings would be $13 billion to $26 billion annually.

Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MSHA, FACS, Director of the Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care and the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) met Aug. 2 with congressional staff who handle health policy issues. He provided an overview of ACS NSQIP and described its potential utility in reducing health care costs.

To view the ACS NSQIP site, click here. Named "Best in Nation" by the Institute of Medicine for measuring and reporting surgical quality and outcomes, ACS NSQIP is a nationally validated, risk-adjusted, outcomes-based approach to performance measurement and quality improvement. On average, ACS NSQIP has helped participating hospitals to prevent 250 to 500 complications and save 12 to 36 lives each year. ACS NSQIP estimates that if 4,500 hospitals across the nation used the program, the potential savings would be $13 billion to $26 billion annually.

The 2012 Jacobson Innovation Award of the ACS was given to W. Hardy Hendren III, MD, FACS, FRCS(Ire, Eng, Glas[Hon]), a pediatric surgeon from Boston, MA, at a dinner in his honor on June 8 in Chicago. An ACS Fellow since 1963, Dr. Hendren was honored with this prestigious international surgical award in recognition of his pioneering work in developing urinary undiversion surgical techniques. Several of Dr. Hendren’s colleagues and patients testified  movingly at the dinner to his innovative and life-altering contributions to surgery.

His work revolutionized the practice of pediatric surgery in reconstruction of the urinary and genital tract in patients with severe urogenital abnormalities. Dr. Hendren is the Distinguished Robert E. Gross Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Boston; emeritus chief of surgery at Children’s Hospital, Boston; and an honorary surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

The Jacobson Innovation Award honors living surgeons who have been innovators of a new development or technique in any field of surgery and is made possible through a gift from Julius H. Jacobson II, MD, FACS, and his wife Joan. Dr. Jacobson is a general vascular surgeon known for his pioneering work in the development of microsurgery.

In the 1950s and 1960s, children with severe urogenital abnormalities were treated using multiple diversionary procedures, such as nephrostomy, ureterostomy, cystostomy, and ileal loop operations. However, as a practicing surgeon, Dr. Hendren recognized that infant abnormalities (such as esophageal atresia, bowel atresia, and cardiac abnormalities) could be repaired during infancy. He began to surgically fix, rather than divert, dilated ureters and kidneys. He devised a repair for megaureters, and a repair of complex cloacal anomalies, as well as a series of operations to reconstruct children with disorders of sexual differentiation. The next step was to repair problems in children who had undergone diversion procedures, an operation that went by the word "undiversion."

Dr. Hendren has also enhanced the quality of patients’ lives by ending the use of collection bags for diversionary procedures. Through undiversion operations, Dr. Hendren and his team removed the collection bags from more than 200 children and young adults. His surgical approach has since been refined to a level of sophistication such that children born with urogenital abnormalities show almost no physical abnormalities and are able to function without multiple stomas.

A highly active Fellow of the College, Dr. Hendren served as Second Vice-President (1997-1998), a member of the Advisory Councils for Surgical Specialties (1981-1986), an ACS Governor (1980-1986), and a Past-President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the ACS.

Dr. Hendren credits Eleanor, his wife of 65 years, with the raising of their five children: Sandra, a teacher and nurse (deceased); Douglas, an orthopaedic surgeon; William, a cardiac surgeon; Robert, a urologist (all three are Fellows of the American College of Surgeons); and David, an attorney. Dr. Hendren and Eleanor have 11 grandchildren. 

Administered by the Board of Regents Honors Committee of the American College of Surgeons, 18 prestigious surgeons, including Dr. Hendren, have received the Jacobson Innovation Award, established in 1994. To view a press release about this year’s Jacobson Award, click here. 

The 2012 Jacobson Innovation Award of the ACS was given to W. Hardy Hendren III, MD, FACS, FRCS(Ire, Eng, Glas[Hon]), a pediatric surgeon from Boston, MA, at a dinner in his honor on June 8 in Chicago. An ACS Fellow since 1963, Dr. Hendren was honored with this prestigious international surgical award in recognition of his pioneering work in developing urinary undiversion surgical techniques. Several of Dr. Hendren’s colleagues and patients testified  movingly at the dinner to his innovative and life-altering contributions to surgery.

His work revolutionized the practice of pediatric surgery in reconstruction of the urinary and genital tract in patients with severe urogenital abnormalities. Dr. Hendren is the Distinguished Robert E. Gross Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Boston; emeritus chief of surgery at Children’s Hospital, Boston; and an honorary surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

The Jacobson Innovation Award honors living surgeons who have been innovators of a new development or technique in any field of surgery and is made possible through a gift from Julius H. Jacobson II, MD, FACS, and his wife Joan. Dr. Jacobson is a general vascular surgeon known for his pioneering work in the development of microsurgery.

In the 1950s and 1960s, children with severe urogenital abnormalities were treated using multiple diversionary procedures, such as nephrostomy, ureterostomy, cystostomy, and ileal loop operations. However, as a practicing surgeon, Dr. Hendren recognized that infant abnormalities (such as esophageal atresia, bowel atresia, and cardiac abnormalities) could be repaired during infancy. He began to surgically fix, rather than divert, dilated ureters and kidneys. He devised a repair for megaureters, and a repair of complex cloacal anomalies, as well as a series of operations to reconstruct children with disorders of sexual differentiation. The next step was to repair problems in children who had undergone diversion procedures, an operation that went by the word "undiversion."

Dr. Hendren has also enhanced the quality of patients’ lives by ending the use of collection bags for diversionary procedures. Through undiversion operations, Dr. Hendren and his team removed the collection bags from more than 200 children and young adults. His surgical approach has since been refined to a level of sophistication such that children born with urogenital abnormalities show almost no physical abnormalities and are able to function without multiple stomas.

A highly active Fellow of the College, Dr. Hendren served as Second Vice-President (1997-1998), a member of the Advisory Councils for Surgical Specialties (1981-1986), an ACS Governor (1980-1986), and a Past-President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the ACS.

Dr. Hendren credits Eleanor, his wife of 65 years, with the raising of their five children: Sandra, a teacher and nurse (deceased); Douglas, an orthopaedic surgeon; William, a cardiac surgeon; Robert, a urologist (all three are Fellows of the American College of Surgeons); and David, an attorney. Dr. Hendren and Eleanor have 11 grandchildren. 

Administered by the Board of Regents Honors Committee of the American College of Surgeons, 18 prestigious surgeons, including Dr. Hendren, have received the Jacobson Innovation Award, established in 1994. To view a press release about this year’s Jacobson Award, click here. 

The 2012 Jacobson Innovation Award of the ACS was given to W. Hardy Hendren III, MD, FACS, FRCS(Ire, Eng, Glas[Hon]), a pediatric surgeon from Boston, MA, at a dinner in his honor on June 8 in Chicago. An ACS Fellow since 1963, Dr. Hendren was honored with this prestigious international surgical award in recognition of his pioneering work in developing urinary undiversion surgical techniques. Several of Dr. Hendren’s colleagues and patients testified  movingly at the dinner to his innovative and life-altering contributions to surgery.

His work revolutionized the practice of pediatric surgery in reconstruction of the urinary and genital tract in patients with severe urogenital abnormalities. Dr. Hendren is the Distinguished Robert E. Gross Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, Boston; emeritus chief of surgery at Children’s Hospital, Boston; and an honorary surgeon at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.

The Jacobson Innovation Award honors living surgeons who have been innovators of a new development or technique in any field of surgery and is made possible through a gift from Julius H. Jacobson II, MD, FACS, and his wife Joan. Dr. Jacobson is a general vascular surgeon known for his pioneering work in the development of microsurgery.

In the 1950s and 1960s, children with severe urogenital abnormalities were treated using multiple diversionary procedures, such as nephrostomy, ureterostomy, cystostomy, and ileal loop operations. However, as a practicing surgeon, Dr. Hendren recognized that infant abnormalities (such as esophageal atresia, bowel atresia, and cardiac abnormalities) could be repaired during infancy. He began to surgically fix, rather than divert, dilated ureters and kidneys. He devised a repair for megaureters, and a repair of complex cloacal anomalies, as well as a series of operations to reconstruct children with disorders of sexual differentiation. The next step was to repair problems in children who had undergone diversion procedures, an operation that went by the word "undiversion."

Dr. Hendren has also enhanced the quality of patients’ lives by ending the use of collection bags for diversionary procedures. Through undiversion operations, Dr. Hendren and his team removed the collection bags from more than 200 children and young adults. His surgical approach has since been refined to a level of sophistication such that children born with urogenital abnormalities show almost no physical abnormalities and are able to function without multiple stomas.

A highly active Fellow of the College, Dr. Hendren served as Second Vice-President (1997-1998), a member of the Advisory Councils for Surgical Specialties (1981-1986), an ACS Governor (1980-1986), and a Past-President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the ACS.

Dr. Hendren credits Eleanor, his wife of 65 years, with the raising of their five children: Sandra, a teacher and nurse (deceased); Douglas, an orthopaedic surgeon; William, a cardiac surgeon; Robert, a urologist (all three are Fellows of the American College of Surgeons); and David, an attorney. Dr. Hendren and Eleanor have 11 grandchildren. 

Administered by the Board of Regents Honors Committee of the American College of Surgeons, 18 prestigious surgeons, including Dr. Hendren, have received the Jacobson Innovation Award, established in 1994. To view a press release about this year’s Jacobson Award, click here. 

John H. Armstrong, MD, FACS, a member of the ACS Board of Governors and past Chair of the American College of Surgeons Professional Association’s political action committee (ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC) assumed the role of Florida Surgeon General and Secretary of the Florida Department of Health on May 23. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) appointed Dr. Armstrong to the position.

A trauma surgeon, Dr. Armstrong is chief medical officer of the University of South Florida (USF) Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation and associate professor of surgery at the USF Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa. He chairs the ACS Delegation of the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates, is a member of the ACS Health Policy and Advocacy Group, and is a consultant to the ACS Committee on Trauma Ad Hoc Committee on Disaster Management. He served as the Army (State) COT Chair from 2003 to 2006 and is a member of the Residency Review Committee for Surgery.

Dr. Armstrong served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps for 17 years, concluding his service at the rank of Colonel. His final assignment was director of the U.S. Army Trauma Training Center in Miami, FL. He led the development and implementation of a two-week award-winning team training program in trauma care for military medical units deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dr. Armstrong earned a medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville. He completed his surgical residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, his fellowship in trauma/surgical critical care at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Florida, and completed the master educators of medical education program at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and remains on faculty in the Norman M. Rich Department of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.

John H. Armstrong, MD, FACS, a member of the ACS Board of Governors and past Chair of the American College of Surgeons Professional Association’s political action committee (ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC) assumed the role of Florida Surgeon General and Secretary of the Florida Department of Health on May 23. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) appointed Dr. Armstrong to the position.

A trauma surgeon, Dr. Armstrong is chief medical officer of the University of South Florida (USF) Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation and associate professor of surgery at the USF Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa. He chairs the ACS Delegation of the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates, is a member of the ACS Health Policy and Advocacy Group, and is a consultant to the ACS Committee on Trauma Ad Hoc Committee on Disaster Management. He served as the Army (State) COT Chair from 2003 to 2006 and is a member of the Residency Review Committee for Surgery.

Dr. Armstrong served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps for 17 years, concluding his service at the rank of Colonel. His final assignment was director of the U.S. Army Trauma Training Center in Miami, FL. He led the development and implementation of a two-week award-winning team training program in trauma care for military medical units deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dr. Armstrong earned a medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville. He completed his surgical residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, his fellowship in trauma/surgical critical care at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Florida, and completed the master educators of medical education program at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and remains on faculty in the Norman M. Rich Department of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.

John H. Armstrong, MD, FACS, a member of the ACS Board of Governors and past Chair of the American College of Surgeons Professional Association’s political action committee (ACSPA-SurgeonsPAC) assumed the role of Florida Surgeon General and Secretary of the Florida Department of Health on May 23. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) appointed Dr. Armstrong to the position.

A trauma surgeon, Dr. Armstrong is chief medical officer of the University of South Florida (USF) Health Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation and associate professor of surgery at the USF Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa. He chairs the ACS Delegation of the American Medical Association’s House of Delegates, is a member of the ACS Health Policy and Advocacy Group, and is a consultant to the ACS Committee on Trauma Ad Hoc Committee on Disaster Management. He served as the Army (State) COT Chair from 2003 to 2006 and is a member of the Residency Review Committee for Surgery.

Dr. Armstrong served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps for 17 years, concluding his service at the rank of Colonel. His final assignment was director of the U.S. Army Trauma Training Center in Miami, FL. He led the development and implementation of a two-week award-winning team training program in trauma care for military medical units deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dr. Armstrong earned a medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville. He completed his surgical residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii, his fellowship in trauma/surgical critical care at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Florida, and completed the master educators of medical education program at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and remains on faculty in the Norman M. Rich Department of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.

At its 2012 annual meeting on May 18 in Sarasota, the Florida Chapter of the ACS released preliminary data from the Florida Surgical Care Initiative (FSCI), a collaboration of the Florida Hospital Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Applying the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) processes, data from 26,824 operations reported by the first 50 of 65 participating hospitals were compared with a national sample of 313,529 procedures. Analysis of Florida participating hospitals’ rates of postoperative occurrences categorized by such critical issues as wound and bladder infections, pneumonia, blood use, and postoperative organ system failure demonstrated a level of performance equal to that reported by all hospitals participating in the program nationwide.

J.J. Tepas III, MD, FACS, state FSCI surgical coordinator, welcomed these findings as the starting point for continuous quality improvement in Florida. "The hospitals are performing comparably to the ACS NSQIP hospitals and, importantly, have identified areas where they are doing well and where there are opportunities for improvement. Ideally, every Florida hospital will join this program so that we can begin to work as a single entity to guarantee all surgical patients the best quality humanly possible," Dr. Tepas said. "Better quality means less cost and much better value for everyone."

Frank Evans, BSN, JD, surgical clinical nurse reviewer, South Miami Hospital, added that his institution depends on the ACS NSQIP to manage quality and save millions of dollars through the development of strategies aimed at avoiding complications.

"Before beginning to address our surgical problems, we had to first identify what they were. ACS NSQIP was the tool we were able to use to immediately allow us to identify those problems," said Mr. Evans.

John P. Rioux, MD, FACS, a member of the ACS Board of Governors in surgical practice at three community hospitals in Port Charlotte, noted the importance of assessing surgical outcomes in smaller community hospitals so that all Floridians can receive state-of-the-art care, regardless of their proximity to an academic medical center. The College recently revised ACS NSQIP to expand its availability to smaller hospitals.

Dr. Tepas emphasized that all participating hospitals are continuing to improve their outcomes. High performers get even better, and those that want to improve find ways to achieve that goal through this program. Because the data reported back to hospitals are risk-adjusted, hospitals can assess their performance using real-time clinical information rather than pooled administrative or claims data.

The Florida initiative will bring another dimension to the process of quality improvement. Now that an appropriate baseline of state performance for comparison with the leading national hospitals has been established, specific regions within the state can aggregate de-identified data to determine areas where superior performance may be used to develop best practices.

"We have only just begun, but we have begun well, and are clearly on a path that will enable us to guarantee all Floridians the highest quality of surgical care every time and all the time," Dr. Tepas said.

At its 2012 annual meeting on May 18 in Sarasota, the Florida Chapter of the ACS released preliminary data from the Florida Surgical Care Initiative (FSCI), a collaboration of the Florida Hospital Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Applying the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) processes, data from 26,824 operations reported by the first 50 of 65 participating hospitals were compared with a national sample of 313,529 procedures. Analysis of Florida participating hospitals’ rates of postoperative occurrences categorized by such critical issues as wound and bladder infections, pneumonia, blood use, and postoperative organ system failure demonstrated a level of performance equal to that reported by all hospitals participating in the program nationwide.

J.J. Tepas III, MD, FACS, state FSCI surgical coordinator, welcomed these findings as the starting point for continuous quality improvement in Florida. "The hospitals are performing comparably to the ACS NSQIP hospitals and, importantly, have identified areas where they are doing well and where there are opportunities for improvement. Ideally, every Florida hospital will join this program so that we can begin to work as a single entity to guarantee all surgical patients the best quality humanly possible," Dr. Tepas said. "Better quality means less cost and much better value for everyone."

Frank Evans, BSN, JD, surgical clinical nurse reviewer, South Miami Hospital, added that his institution depends on the ACS NSQIP to manage quality and save millions of dollars through the development of strategies aimed at avoiding complications.

"Before beginning to address our surgical problems, we had to first identify what they were. ACS NSQIP was the tool we were able to use to immediately allow us to identify those problems," said Mr. Evans.

John P. Rioux, MD, FACS, a member of the ACS Board of Governors in surgical practice at three community hospitals in Port Charlotte, noted the importance of assessing surgical outcomes in smaller community hospitals so that all Floridians can receive state-of-the-art care, regardless of their proximity to an academic medical center. The College recently revised ACS NSQIP to expand its availability to smaller hospitals.

Dr. Tepas emphasized that all participating hospitals are continuing to improve their outcomes. High performers get even better, and those that want to improve find ways to achieve that goal through this program. Because the data reported back to hospitals are risk-adjusted, hospitals can assess their performance using real-time clinical information rather than pooled administrative or claims data.

The Florida initiative will bring another dimension to the process of quality improvement. Now that an appropriate baseline of state performance for comparison with the leading national hospitals has been established, specific regions within the state can aggregate de-identified data to determine areas where superior performance may be used to develop best practices.

"We have only just begun, but we have begun well, and are clearly on a path that will enable us to guarantee all Floridians the highest quality of surgical care every time and all the time," Dr. Tepas said.

At its 2012 annual meeting on May 18 in Sarasota, the Florida Chapter of the ACS released preliminary data from the Florida Surgical Care Initiative (FSCI), a collaboration of the Florida Hospital Association, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, and the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Applying the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) processes, data from 26,824 operations reported by the first 50 of 65 participating hospitals were compared with a national sample of 313,529 procedures. Analysis of Florida participating hospitals’ rates of postoperative occurrences categorized by such critical issues as wound and bladder infections, pneumonia, blood use, and postoperative organ system failure demonstrated a level of performance equal to that reported by all hospitals participating in the program nationwide.

J.J. Tepas III, MD, FACS, state FSCI surgical coordinator, welcomed these findings as the starting point for continuous quality improvement in Florida. "The hospitals are performing comparably to the ACS NSQIP hospitals and, importantly, have identified areas where they are doing well and where there are opportunities for improvement. Ideally, every Florida hospital will join this program so that we can begin to work as a single entity to guarantee all surgical patients the best quality humanly possible," Dr. Tepas said. "Better quality means less cost and much better value for everyone."

Frank Evans, BSN, JD, surgical clinical nurse reviewer, South Miami Hospital, added that his institution depends on the ACS NSQIP to manage quality and save millions of dollars through the development of strategies aimed at avoiding complications.

"Before beginning to address our surgical problems, we had to first identify what they were. ACS NSQIP was the tool we were able to use to immediately allow us to identify those problems," said Mr. Evans.

John P. Rioux, MD, FACS, a member of the ACS Board of Governors in surgical practice at three community hospitals in Port Charlotte, noted the importance of assessing surgical outcomes in smaller community hospitals so that all Floridians can receive state-of-the-art care, regardless of their proximity to an academic medical center. The College recently revised ACS NSQIP to expand its availability to smaller hospitals.

Dr. Tepas emphasized that all participating hospitals are continuing to improve their outcomes. High performers get even better, and those that want to improve find ways to achieve that goal through this program. Because the data reported back to hospitals are risk-adjusted, hospitals can assess their performance using real-time clinical information rather than pooled administrative or claims data.

The Florida initiative will bring another dimension to the process of quality improvement. Now that an appropriate baseline of state performance for comparison with the leading national hospitals has been established, specific regions within the state can aggregate de-identified data to determine areas where superior performance may be used to develop best practices.

"We have only just begun, but we have begun well, and are clearly on a path that will enable us to guarantee all Floridians the highest quality of surgical care every time and all the time," Dr. Tepas said.