The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) has recognized University of Missouri Health Care for the quality of its surgical care. MU Health Care is one of just 56 hospitals nationwide and the only hospital in Missouri to receive the honor for both high-risk and routine cases, ensuring patients receive advanced, quality surgical care from mid-Missouri’s largest specialized surgical team.

“This recognition is a testament to MU Health Care’s commitment to quality,” said Kevin Staveley-O’Carroll, MD, the Hugh E. Stephenson Jr., MD, Chair of the Department of Surgery at MU Health Care. “Whether it’s a complex case or a routine surgery, our surgical teams are providing patients the highest-quality care.”

The ACS NSQIP rates each participating hospital using a formula that combines eight outcomes from both inpatient and outpatient surgeries, including mortality, cardiac arrest, pneumonia, unplanned intubation, ventilator care exceeding 48 hours, kidney failure, surgical site infection and urinary tract infection. MU Health Care’s quality score placed it in the top 10% of the 722 U.S. hospitals participating in the program for its high scores across the eight areas evaluated.

ACS NSQIP is the only nationally validated quality improvement program that measures and enhances the care of surgical patients. The goal of this program is to reduce complications related to surgical procedures and to provide a firm foundation for surgeons to apply scientific evidence to the practice of surgery.

“The ACS is the largest organization of surgeons in the world, and we are honored to receive this lofty distinction,” said Mark Wakefield, MD, chief of the Division of Urology and NSQIP surgeon champion at MU Health Care. “This designation is the result of setting high goals, measuring our performance and making improvements. Then we repeat the process to ensure we are giving our patients quality care with the best possible outcome.”

MU Health Care is the only Missouri hospital among 18 participating to receive the ACS NSQIP recognition.