Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) has been verified as a Level 1 Children’s Surgical Center by the American College of Surgeons through its Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program (ACS CSV). ACH becomes one of only 17 children’s hospitals in the United States and the only hospital in Arkansas to receive this highest level of designation.
Level 1 verification, valid for three years, recognizes surgery centers whose quality improvement programs have enhanced the quality of children’s surgeries, prevented complications, reduced costs and, most importantly, saved lives.
The distinction shows Arkansas Children’s Hospital:
• Has a comprehensive staff of medical and surgical specialists ready to care for children 24/7
• Offers wide-ranging resources to address the most complex conditions
• Presents ongoing education for families, pediatricians, and others
• Participates in a robust national data registry yielding semiannual reports of quality
• Engages in academic research that ensures evidence-based best practices are used at the bedside with patients
The ACS CSV program was developed to improve the quality of children’s surgical care by ensuring every child’s individual needs can be met by resources available at verified centers.
“This verification means families are turning to the highest quality surgical program when they entrust Arkansas Children’s Hospital to care for their children,” said Arkansas Children’s Hospital Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Greg Sharp, MD. “Verification is a rigorous process and ensures our surgical program meets uncompromising standards.”
Verified centers must meet criteria outlined in the standards document, Optimal Resources for Children’s Surgical Care 2015. CSV standards ensure children facing surgery receive care under a multidisciplinary program with quality improvement and safety processes, data collection, and appropriate resources provided to them as patients at the hospital.
The CSV program is based on other nationally recognized American College of Surgeons quality improvement programs that have measurably improved surgical quality and have prevented complications, reduced costs, and saved lives.
To become a verified center, Arkansas Children’s Hospital met essential criteria for staffing, training, and facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to appropriately care for children who are surgical patients. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement.
After submitting an application, ACH underwent an extensive site visit by an ACS team of surveyors, including experienced pediatric surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses who review the center's structure, process, and clinical outcomes data.