American College of Surgeons calls CUMC outcomes “Exemplary”

(OMAHA, Neb) – The largest organization of surgeons in the world has recognized Alegent Creighton Health Creighton University Medical Center (CUMC) as a hospital that provides “exemplary outcomes” for surgical patient care.

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) selected CUMC as one of 28 participating hospitals in the U.S., and the only one in Nebraska or Iowa, as having excellent outcomes.

CUMC’s NSQIP Surgeon Champion R. Armour Forse, M.D., called the honor “an appropriate recognition of everyone’s hard work.” He said staff identified areas that needed improvement and over a four-year period improved the quality of surgical care. “It was a team effort. They had to implement changes and they stuck with it. All members of the surgical services deserve this honor,” said Dr. Forse, a professor of surgery and associate chair of surgery education at Creighton University.

Operations Director of Surgical Services Matthew Kayl said, “Just like the recent Top Performers on Key Quality Measures recognition we received from the Joint Commission, this is a testament to how hard we’ve worked, the concerted effort we’ve put into high quality care.”

The select group of hospitals achieved exemplary outcomes in two or more of these five clinical areas: DVT (deep vein thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, and pulmonary embolism); cardiac incidents (cardiac arrests and myocardial infarction, or heart attacks); pneumonia; surgical site infections; or urinary tract infection.

“For years we’ve worked on these measures and these issues and they’ve truly become a way of life,” said Kayl. “It’s nice to be recognized for this.”

ACS NSQIP is the only nationally validated quality improvement program that measures the care of surgical patients and measures results up to 30 days after surgery. The goal is to reduce infection, illness and/or death related to a surgical procedure. When adverse outcomes are reduced and/or eliminated, health care costs are also reduced.

The American College of Surgeons was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve care of the surgical patient. The college has more than 78,000 members all over the world.

About Alegent Creighton Health
With a commitment to providing high-quality care and an exceptional patient experience, Alegent Creighton Health physicians and employees are focused on caring for the body, mind and spirit of every person. Patients find a continuum of care at Alegent Creighton Health, from primary care through geriatrics. Alegent Creighton Health is the largest not-for-profit, faith-based healthcare provider in Nebraska and southwest Iowa with 11 acute care hospitals, a specialty spine hospital, freestanding inpatient psychiatric and skilled nursing facilities and more than 100 Alegent Creighton Clinic locations. As the primary teaching partner of Creighton University’s health sciences schools, Alegent Creighton Health and Alegent Creighton Clinic are committed to teaching the health professionals of the future. For more information about Alegent Creighton Health, visit AlegentCreighton.com.