Seventy-Eight ACS NSQIP Hospitals Recognized for Achieving Meritorious Outcomes for Surgical Patient Care

CHICAGO: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP^®) has recognized 78 of an eligible 615 hospitals participating in the adult program for achieving meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care in 2022. ACS NSQIP-participating hospitals are required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures; these outcomes are then analyzed by ACS and reported back to hospitals. These results will inform patient safety initiatives within the hospital and be used to positively impact the quality of surgical care.

“All hospitals who use the ACS NSQIP program to continually improve surgical outcomes for their patients should be commended, because we know that one of the essential elements of achieving high-quality care is using good data to evaluate the care you provide,” said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FASCRS, Director of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care. “Unfortunately, we know many hospitals do not use good, accurate data. These Meritorious ACS NSQIP hospitals go a step further—not only using good, accurate data, but also by achieving high-quality patient outcomes. Quality improvement requires dedicated hard work and commitment, and these hospitals are strong examples for others of the progress you can make on the road to delivering high-quality care for all.”

The ACS NSQIP recognition program commends a select group of hospitals for achieving a meritorious composite score in either an “All Cases” category or a category which includes higher risk cases (“High Risk”). Each composite score was determined through a different weighted formula combining eight outcomes. Outcomes in the following eight clinical areas were evaluated: 

• Mortality
• Cardiac: cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction
• Pneumonia
• Unplanned Intubation
• Ventilator > 48 hours
• Renal Failure
• Surgical Site Infection (SSI): superficial incisional SSI, deep incisional SSI, and organ/space SSI
• UTI: urinary tract infection

To be eligible for either list, the hospital must have submitted at least one case in each of the calendar years 2020, 2021, and 2022, though only performance in calendar year 2022 was evaluated for the 2022 Meritorious lists. Of the 702 NSQIP hospitals participating in 2022, 615 met the three-year criteria to be eligible for Meritorious consideration. 

The 78 hospitals achieved the distinction based on an outstanding composite quality score. Risk-adjusted data from the July 2023 ACS NSQIP Semiannual Report, which presents data from the 2022 calendar year, were used to determine which hospitals demonstrated meritorious outcomes. Sixty-two hospitals were recognized on the “All Cases” list and 62 hospitals were recognized on the “High Risk” list—the 62 hospitals represent approximately ten percent of the 615 ACS NSQIP eligible hospitals. Forty-six hospitals are recognized on both the “All Cases” and “High Risk” lists; 16 other hospitals are each on just the “All Cases” list or on the “High Risk” list only—yielding 78 hospitals in total.

These meritorious hospitals are also eligible to display these achievements amongst their staff and within their institutions.

ACS NSQIP is the preeminent nationally validated quality improvement program that measures and enhances the care of surgical patients. This program measures the actual surgical results 30 days postoperatively as well as risk adjusts patient characteristics to compensate for differences among patient populations and acuity levels. The goal of ACS NSQIP is to reduce surgical morbidity (infection or illness related to a surgical procedure) and surgical mortality (death related to a surgical procedure) and to provide a firm foundation for surgeons to apply what is known as the “best scientific evidence” to the practice of surgery. Furthermore, when adverse effects from surgical procedures are reduced and/or eliminated, a reduction in healthcare costs follows. ACS NSQIP is a major program of the ACS and is currently used in over 850 adult or pediatric hospitals. Hospitals participating in ACS NSQIP are considered ACS Surgical Quality Partners. To find ACS Surgical Quality Partner hospitals, please visit www.powerofquality.com.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

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