The Michael E. DeBakey Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center has become the country’s first VA medical center recognized by the American College of Surgeons’ (ACS) Quality Verification Program (QVP).
The ACS QVP provides a standardized method for “establishing, measuring, and improving a hospital’s quality infrastructure across all surgical departments,” explains the VA. “The QVP distinction is not merely an institutional honor; it is a concrete promise of world-class, high quality surgical care for our Veterans,” said Amir Farooqi, executive director of the Houston VA. “This independent verification from the American College of Surgeons lets Veterans know Houston VA is dedicated to quality and safety and that our hospital adheres to the highest surgical quality standards.”
The VA notes that QVP-verified hospitals undergo rigorous assessments of surgical quality and safety practices, and are visited by external peer review teams who provide “tailored, actionable recommendations specific to Houston VA’s needs and Veteran population.” The VA lauds this “outside perspective” that has “sharpened” the medical center’s approach to “leadership, patient safety culture, and care coordination.”
“By implementing standardized care protocols across every phase of the surgical experience, from preoperative preparation through postoperative recovery, we are optimizing our patient outcomes and allowing our Veterans to go home sooner, experience fewer complications, and benefit from a system designed with their safety at every step,” said Dr. Samir Awad, chief of surgery and operative care line executive at the Houston VA.
More than 9,000 surgeries are performed at the Houston VA Medical Center annually.
