Just days before the start of the new year, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln was given national acclaim for its strong surgical quality and patient outcomes, having been recognized as a meritoriously performing hospital by the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) in 2024.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln is one of just 76 hospitals across the United States to earn this distinction from the ACS. Each of these hospitals are required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures and collect data that assesses patient safety, which leads to direct improvement in the quality of surgical care.
“As a Level I trauma center with one of the busiest emergency department in the nation, receiving recognition from the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Program is a powerful affirmation of the exceptional work happening every day at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln,” NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln Chief Executive Officer Cristina Contreras, LMSW, MPA, FABC, DHL, said.
“This achievement reflects outstanding care across the entire perioperative continuum and underscores the culture of teamwork, safety and equity that defines us. Our clinical teams’ commitment to excellence ensures that even the most complex and vulnerable patients receive the highest standard of care, ensuring that our patients receive world-class care close to home.”
Mortality, cardiac complications, pneumonia, surgical site infections and other key indicators of surgical success are evaluated in order to determine whether or not a hospital is deserving of the award. There are eight critical areas in all that are examined.
“We commend all ACS NSQIP-participating hospitals because they have committed to using high-quality data to improve the surgical care of their patients,” ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care Senior Vice President Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FASCRS, said.
“NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln has gone a step further — not only do they use the data effectively, they also have the results to prove they are achieving optimal patient outcomes. We are particularly proud of their achievements in this increasingly difficult climate.”
The ACS NSQIP recognition program honors hospitals that achieved a meritorious composite score in either an “All Cases” category or a category that includes higher risk cases (“High Risk”).
The 76 hospitals were determined to have demonstrated meritorious outcomes based on risk-adjusted data from the July 2025 ACS NSQIP Semiannual Report, which featured data from the 2024 calendar year.
Of the 76 meritoriously performing hospitals, only 43 were recognized on both the “All Cases” and “High Risk” Meritorious lists, with NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln being one of them.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by ACS NSQIP for our meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care, because the safety and well-being of each and every patient who undergoes surgery at Lincoln remains front and center in our approach to surgical care,” NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln Interim Chair of Surgery Valerie Katz, MD, said.
“This achievement reflects the dedication and collaboration of our surgical teams, who consistently rise to meet the challenges of delivering exceptional care to every patient, including those with the most complex conditions.”
Located at 234 E. 149th St. in the South Bronx, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln sees more than 168,000 emergency room visits and more than 600,000 outpatient visits annually. It was also the first Baby-Friendly designated hospital in the Bronx.
More than 1,500 newborn deliveries are performed a year there, with clinical services and consultations also provided. In addition to having a Stroke Center, a Diabetes Center and HIV/AIDS Center, the hospital also provides emergency medicine, trauma care and breast imaging. The latest advances in medical science are used to emphasize primary care and specialty medicine.
The ACS NSQIP measures and enhances the care of surgical patients. Its main goal is to reduce surgical morbidity, which are infections or illnesses related to a surgical procedure, as well as surgical mortality, which are deaths related to a surgical procedure.
Another priority is to provide surgeons with a firm foundation to apply the best scientific evidence to the practice of surgery.
