In January, Jacobi Hospital was the first hospital in NYC and one of just 15 in the world to participate in a rigorous, two-day pilot program sponsored by the American College of Surgeons (ACS.)
However, due to COVID-19, many of the surgical procedures were delayed and the hospital is only bringing surgical operations back up to scale now.
The ACS Quality Verification “Red Book” Program is an ACS initiative to establish a national framework for surgical quality. Its pilot verification program is designed to assess the extent to which participating hospitals meet the standards articulated in the ACS surgical quality model. Fifteen hospitals across the US, Japan and Australia participated in the pilot, including Jacobi.
Dr. John McNelis, chairman of surgery, said long term, this will help structure how the surgery department is organized and improve its protocols and procedures with patients.
“Just going through the survey was in itself a quality initiative,” McNelis said. “In our preparation we did a deep dive into the processes of the entire department. The visit was extensive, the report very comprehensive, and results apparently well-received. I have already been invited to share them in both a panel discussion and a fireside chat for the upcoming ACS National Quality & Safety Conference.”
