Highland Wins National Honors for Surgical Quality
Hospital is one of 26 top performers in National Surgical Quality Improvement Program
January 13, 2008
The Highland Hospital Surgery Department is being recognized as a top-performing participant in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) sponsored by the American College of Surgeons. Highland is one of 26 hospitals nationwide to receive an "Exemplary" rating in two or more key patient safety measures. Highland received a total of seven Exemplary ratings. This recognition is based on commendable performance in the 2007 NSQIP Semi-Annual Report measuring surgical outcomes. Highland showed no deficiencies in any of the categories that NSQIP measures.
NSQIP is a voluntary program in which participating hospitals collect data on key patient characteristics, along with post-operation mortality and morbidity information, to measure and improve the quality of surgical care. Only two hospitals in the Rochester area voluntarily participate in NSQIP. The data are risk-adjusted to allow for a valid comparison of outcomes among all hospitals participating in NSQIP. Medical centers can use the data to make informed decisions about quality improvement initiatives.
"This is an exciting and very meaningful recognition, because NSQIP provides the best quality data available on surgical outcomes," said Highland Hospital’s Chief of Surgery, Joseph Johnson, M.D. "Many of the top hospitals in the nation choose to participate in this program because it provides the most accurate, most current data. NSQIP reports results to hospitals every six months, compared to other quality reporting systems that analyze two-year-old data."
"Just being a part of this program demonstrates a commitment to quality, because it is a rigorous process," Johnson added. "Each hospital in NSQIP has a dedicated nurse reviewer assigned to continuously collect more than 130 data points on surgical results for each case. NSQIP audits every hospital’s data regularly to ensure its accuracy. The American College of Surgeons has chosen NSQIP as their quality improvement measure because it believes it can be a great tool for hospitals to continuously improve surgical performance."
NSQIP was started in the Department of Veterans Affairs in 1994 as a quality improvement initiative and has resulted in significant reductions in surgical mortality and morbidity (complications after surgery). The program is now helping hospitals in the private sector measure and continuously improve their results.
"We’re honored that Highland Hospital has earned recognition for the high quality of its surgical outcomes," said Cindy Becker, VP/COO of Highland Hospital. "The recognition is a testament to the dedication of our surgical staff, and reaffirms our commitment to providing high quality patient care to the Rochester community."
Highland Hospital received an "Exemplary" rating in these key measures: Overall Morbidity, General Surgery Morbidity, Overall Surgical Site Infections, General Surgery Surgical Site Infections, Overall Urinary Tract Infections, General Surgery Urinary Tract Infections, and General Surgery Unplanned Intubations. These performance results will be highlighted at the American College of Surgeons’ Clinical Congress on Oct. 12-16 in San Francisco.
-Highland Hospital Surgery Department