For the third consecutive year, Southlake Health has earned international recognition as one of only six hospitals in Ontario to achieve meritorious outcomes in both categories in the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP).
Of the 609 North American hospitals that participate in the program, only 43 hospitals were recognized in both categories for their commitment to clinical excellence and patient safety, according to a Southlake Health news release.
“It’s an incredible honour to be among the elite hospitals recognized internationally by ACS NSQIP for surgical excellence in two categories,” said Puneet Sandhu, director, surgical and perioperative services program at Southlake Health. “This achievement is a true reflection of the dedication, skill, and teamwork of our entire surgical team, who continue to raise the bar for patient care and strive to deliver the highest standards every day.”
ACS NSQIP participants track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures, collecting data that assesses patient safety and informs improvements in surgical care, Southlake said. Hospitals earn program distinction in the “all cases” and “high risk” categories based on outstanding composite quality scores related to patient management in eight clinical areas:
- cardiac incidents, such as cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction
- pneumonia
- renal failure
- mortality
- surgical site infections
- urinary tract infections
- unplanned intubation
- ventilator use for more than 48 hours.
“Over the last century, Southlake has built a legacy of excellence, ensuring leading edge care is always within reach for families in northern York Region and southern Simcoe,” said Derek McNally, executive vice-president, clinical services, and chief operating officer of Southlake Health. “Congratulations to our surgical team for building on this legacy and securing a place among the best hospitals in the world for surgical outcomes — for the third consecutive year.”
ACS NSQIP is the only nationally validated quality improvement program that measures and enhances the care of surgical patients. The program’s goal is to reduce surgical morbidity (complications) and mortality (death), providing a foundation for applying evidence-based practices to surgery.
With nearly 850 adult and pediatric hospitals using ACS NSQIP, it is a major initiative of the American College of Surgeons and plays a key role in advancing surgical care across North America. Risk-adjusted data from the July 2024 ACS NSQIP Semiannual Report, presenting outcomes from the 2023 calendar year, were used to determine the hospitals achieving meritorious outcomes.
