New SVS-ACS Vascular Verification Program verifies first four hospitals

The American College of Surgeons (ACS), with the Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS), has verified the first four hospitals as part of the recently launched Vascular Verification Program (Vascular-VP). To receive verification, these hospitals have shown a commitment to improving outcomes and delivering the best treatment for patients receiving vascular surgical and interventional care in an inpatient setting.

Vascular-VP is an ACS Quality Program developed with the SVS, and leverages the strengths and expertise of the ACS and SVS to provide an evidence-driven, standardized pathway for instituting and growing a quality improvement and clinical care infrastructure within a hospital’s vascular program.

The newly verified hospitals are Albany Medical Center in Albany, New York; The Heart Hospital-Plano in Plano, Texas; Keck Hospital of University of Southern California, Los Angeles; and University of California San Francisco Medical Center in San Francisco.

These four hospitals are verified as comprehensive inpatient centers. The Vascular-VP offers two levels of participation for inpatient hospitals relative to the scope of care provided: comprehensive inpatient and verified inpatient.

“This verification has allowed us to have the support of the American College of Surgeons and the Society for Vascular Surgery in providing the best care to vascular patients,” said R. Clement Darling III, MD, chief of vascular surgery at Albany Medical Center, and chair of the inpatient subcommittee of the Vascular Standards Committee that helped develop Vascular-VP.

“The most important benefit patients get from this program is that they know the hospital in which they are receiv - ing care is committed to quality and has demonstrated they meet clinical care standards for vascular surgery. It’s not just their own hospital evaluating itself, it’s outside institutions and surgeons who have expertise in evaluating centers.”

Meeting the highest standards of care

To become verified, these hospitals have met the standards outlined in the Optimal Resources for Vascular Surgery and Interventional Care (2023 Inpatient Standards), which addresses elements of vascular surgical care and quality.

standards in surgical quality. These four hospitals are ACS Quality Partners by participating in Vascular-VP.

“We welcome these centers into the ACS Quality Programs. They have shown their commitment to delivering the highest quality care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating themselves to continuous improvement,” said ACS Executive Director and CEO Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA.

R. Clement Darling III

“These four hospitals have, first as pilot sites and now as verified centers, established themselves as leaders in vascular care. They have paved the way for many more hospitals to join us in their journey to continuous improvement by using data and ACS standards and resources to deliver the best possible patient care,” said Clifford Y. Ko, MD, director, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care.

Becoming an ACS Surgical Quality Partner

As a Vascular-VP verified hospital, these centers also become an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being such a quality partner signifies a hospital’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know a hospital is dedicated to quality and self-improvement and has been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous

Hospitals interested in becoming a verified center and continuing the quality improvement journey of their vascular service are encouraged to apply online at vascular.org/VVPApplication

More information about Vascular-VP is available at vascular.org/VascularVP