The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) has recognized the Department of Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center as one of 60 ACS NSQIP participating hospitals to achieve the College’s distinction of meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care nationwide. This distinction was achieved based on outstanding quality scores related to patient management in eight clinical areas including: mortality, unplanned intubation, use of a ventilator for more than 48 hours, renal failure, cardiac incidents, respiratory, surgical site infections, and incidence of urinary tract infections.

Robert E. Michler, M.D., professor and chairman of the department of surgery, professor and chairman of cardiothoracic & vascular surgery, Samuel I. Belkin Endowed Chair, Montefiore Medical Center. “It is reaffirming to see us earn this recognition again.” The Department of Surgery at Montefiore Medical Center also achieved this honor in 2014.

Since 1967, Montefiore has been a leader in transplanting hearts, kidneys, and livers, and is one of the oldest operating transplant centers in the country. In December 2016, Montefiore successfully performed its 250^th heart transplant. Montefiore also performed the world’s first successful operation to separate craniopagus twins, joined at the top of the head.

“We’re constantly striving to increase our number of surgical offerings and improve the quality of the care we offer,” noted Peter Shamamian, M.D., F.A.C.S., vice president and chief quality officer, and vice chairman of Quality Improvement and Performance, Department of Surgery. “This recognition by the ACS NSQIP is a testament to the exceptional skills of our internationally recognized surgical staff, and their dedication to advancing the art of surgical science.”

Risk-adjusted data from the July 2016 ACS NSQIP Semiannual Report, which presents data from the 2015 calendar year, was used to determine which hospitals demonstrated outstanding outcomes. 

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 care for surgical patients. ACS NSQIP is the only 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 degree of illness.