Emergency General Surgery Verification Program Verifies First Five Hospitals

Five hospitals are among the first in the nation to be verified under the new ACS Emergency General Surgery Verification Program (ACS EGS-VP) launched in September 2022. 

EGS-VP, a surgical quality program created by the ACS and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), helps hospitals establish and maintain the highest standards in emergency general surgery. Emergency general surgery is among the most frequent types of surgery a hospital handles.  

The first five EGS-VP verified hospitals are: 

• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• University of Kansas Health System, Kansas City
• University of Wisconsin UW Health–University Hospital, Madison
• Riverside University Health System Medical Center, Moreno Valley, California
• Tarrant County Hospital District, JPS Health Network, Fort Worth, Texas

“As with all ACS Quality Programs, EGS-VP provides evidence-based standards to help hospitals deliver higher quality care,” said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FASCRS, Director of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. “This is important because data show these patients have poorer outcomes. These first five verified hospitals have committed themselves to surgical quality for patients who present with emergency needs, and this verification can give patients confidence that they are receiving quality care.” 

Many of these patients can face poor outcomes and are at increased risk for postoperative complications or death.¹ EGS-VP was designed to help hospitals align resources and clinical standards specific to surgical operations that need to be undertaken on an emergent basis.  

The areas unique to the experience of EGS patients and providers that are focused on in the EGS-VP program include: 

• A triaged approach to care for patients across the spectrum of need
• Recognition of the value of clinically relevant EGS data to drive quality improvement
• A multi-disciplinary approach to care and quality

Hospitals interested in participating in EGS-VP can find more information on the ACS website.