BURNABY Hospital and Royal Columbian Hospital are among 78 hospitals to be recognized internationally by The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) for their efforts to improve surgical outcomes for adult patients in 2022. They are the only two B.C. hospitals to receive top honours.

The two sites were among 615 hospitals considered by the selection committee. All sites are required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures and collect data that assesses patient safety and can be used to direct improvement in the quality of surgical care.

“The NSQIP award serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts of Royal Columbian Hospital’s skilled medical professionals, including surgeons, nurses, and support staff,” says Cecilia Li, Director of Clinical Operations, Royal Columbian Hospital. “Their unwavering dedication ensures the well-being of surgical patients, and the award underscores RCH’s commitment to continuous improvement and adherence to evidence-based practices, ultimately contributing to positive patient outcomes.”

“Despite the challenges we experienced in 2022, including ongoing construction, staffing, and access and flow, our teams have remained steadfast in their commitment to providing exceptional care to our community,” says Angela Tecson, NSQIP Regional Leader, Surgical Safety and Physician Partnerships.

Both Royal Columbian and Burnaby Hospital were recognized in the “all cases” and “high risk” categories for outcomes in eight areas: mortality, cardiac, pneumonia, unplanned intubation, ventilator for more than 48 hours, renal failure, surgical site infection and urinary tract infection.