The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®) has recognized St. Michael’s Hospital as one of 89 ACS NSQIP participating hospitals that have achieved meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care in 2019.

As a participant in ACS NSQIP, St. Michael’s is 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 ACS NSQIP recognition program commends a select group of hospitals for achieving a meritorious composite score in either an “All Cases” category or a category which includes only “High Risk” cases. Risk-adjusted data from the July 2020 ACS NSQIP Semiannual Report were used to determine which hospitals demonstrated meritorious outcomes. St. Michael’s has been recognized on both the “All Cases” and “High Risk” meritorious lists.

“This means the surgical care we provide is top-notch and compares very well to the surgical care provided elsewhere in Ontario, Canada and internationally,” said Dr. Sarah Ward, Orthopaedic Surgeon at St. Michael’s Hospital, “We’re doing all the right things to keep up with best practices and evidence-based pathways for patients.”

Each composite score was determined through a different weighted formula combining eight outcomes. The outcome performances related to patient management were in the following eight clinical areas: mortality, unplanned intubation, ventilator use for more than 48 hours per patient, renal failure, cardiac incidents (cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction); respiratory (pneumonia); SSI (surgical site infections-superficial and deep incisional and organ-space SSIs); or urinary tract infection.

“Our dedicated data quality team collects and analyzes data on our surgical processes and shares this information and best surgical practices with our interdisciplinary teams to inform exceptional care for our patients,” said Amanda McFarlan, Trauma Program Registry Manager and Quality Assurance Specialist, “The award would not be possible without them.”

ACS NSQIP is the only nationally validated quality improvement program that measures and enhances the care of surgical patients. The program is currently used in nearly 850 adult and pediatric hospitals.

“It’s a big team effort. If we didn’t have our nurses, physiotherapists, anesthesia colleagues, blood management program and other interdisciplinary areas and programs, we wouldn’t be able to achieve this,” said Dr. Ward.

About St. Michael’s Hospital

St. Michael’s Hospital provides compassionate care to all who enter its doors. The hospital also provides outstanding medical education to future health care professionals in more than 27 academic disciplines. Critical care and trauma, heart disease, neurosurgery, diabetes, cancer care, care of the homeless and global health are among the Hospital’s recognized areas of expertise. Through the Keenan Research Centre and the Li Ka Shing International Healthcare Education Centre, which make up the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, research and education at St. Michael’s Hospital are recognized and make an impact around the world. Founded in 1892, the hospital is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.

About Unity Health Toronto

Unity Health Toronto, comprised of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital, works to advance the health of everyone in our urban communities and beyond. Our health network serves patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care, spanning primary care, secondary community care, tertiary and quaternary care services to post-acute through rehabilitation, palliative care and long-term care, while investing in world-class research and education. For more information, visit www.unityhealth.to.