November 18, 2021
American College of Surgeons laud local hospital’s surgical program
RED DEER — Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre has received recognition from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) for the quality of care and positive results related to the facility’s surgical patients and program.
The local Alberta Health Services (AHS) facility has been named among 90 hospitals that participate in the college’s National Surgical Quality Improvement Program which achieved praiseworthy outcomes for surgical patient care last year. Participating sites are required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures. They must also collect data assessing patient safety, which is used to direct improvement in the quality of surgical care.
“It is very rewarding for our hospital and our teams to be commended for the exemplary work they do every day,” says Sharon Bilanski, Director of Surgical Services for AHS Central Zone. “We are proud our efforts are recognized as equivalent to a select group of international peers, and we know that will also be gratifying news for the patients and families we support.”
The 90 hospitals to achieve the distinction in 2020 were scored through surgical outcomes related to mortality, unplanned intubation, on ventilator greater than 48 hours, renal failure, cardiac incidents, respiratory (pneumonia), surgical site infections and urinary tract infections.
“We are honoured to receive this recognition from our colleagues at the American College of Surgeons,” says Dr. Cinzia Gaudelli, perioperative medical lead for AHS Central Zone. “As much as we are grateful to be acknowledged for our surgical team’s professional achievements and pursuit of excellence, we are most grateful that our patients and their loved ones benefit from the positive outcomes that result.”
The goals of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program are to reduce infection, illness or death related to a surgical procedure, and to provide a foundation for surgeons to apply best scientific evidence to the practice of surgery. The program is currently used in nearly 850 adult and pediatric hospitals around the world.
“The surgical program in Red Deer is a very busy one with over 10,500 surgeries per year,” says Jill Robert, senior provincial director of the Surgery and Bone & Joint Health Strategic Clinical Network, which helped implement the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program in Alberta.
“Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre has achieved this status for four of the past five years, which requires strong leadership, teamwork, and a culture for quality improvement that serves as an example for others.”
Medicine Hat Regional Hospital was the other AHS facility to earn the recognition for 2020.
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 to improve the care of the surgical patient. 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 more than 82,000 members and it is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.
Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.
