Rocky C
05-06-10, 03:35 PM
WASHINGTON (April 6, 2010) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),
the nation's largest health care system, today announced measures to
ensure that all inpatient surgeries are performed under the safest
possible conditions at facilities with the resources to support them.
VA is the first hospital system to conduct a comprehensive review to
determine what level of inpatient surgeries may be performed in each of
its 112 surgery programs.
"VA began this major undertaking in 2007 to close and prevent gaps in
surgical care," said Dr. Robert Petzel, VA's Under Secretary of Health.
"Our mission is to provide the best health care to Veterans, and we are
determined to meet uncompromising standards for inpatient surgery."
After an expert work group's review of surgical standards, VA conducted
on-site studies of each of its hospitals between June 2009 and March
2010. As a result, VA has assigned each of its medical centers an
inpatient "surgical complexity" level -- complex, intermediate or
standard.
Based on appropriate criteria developed by 16 surgical advisory boards
including 80 experts, VA has authorized 66 hospitals to conduct
"complex" inpatient surgeries; 33 hospitals to conduct "intermediate"
inpatient surgeries; and 13 to conduct "standard" inpatient surgeries.
Hospitals with a "complex" rating require special infrastructure
(facilities, equipment and staff) allowing intricate operations, such as
cardiac surgery, craniotomies and total pancreatectomies. Those with an
"intermediate" rating may perform surgeries such as colon resections,
repairs of abdominal aortic aneurysms and complete joint replacement.
Those with a "standard" complexity rating may perform inpatient
surgeries requiring limited infrastructure, such as hernia repair,
cholecystecomy, urologic procedures and ENT surgeries.
"We are committed to expand Veteran access to quality care," added
Petzel. "If a patient requires a surgical procedure that exceeds the
facility's complexity rating, VA will ensure that the patient receives
the required care from another provider."
Five facilities that have previously conducted some "intermediate"
surgeries will now perform "standard" surgeries in-house and ensure that
Veterans obtain other procedures nearby from the best qualified
providers. These are the surgery programs at VA hospitals in
Alexandria, La.; Beckley, W.V.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Illiana at Danville,
Ill.; and Spokane, Wash.
VA does not anticipate that any Veteran surgery will need to be
rescheduled at these or other facilities due to the planned launch of
the Surgical Complexity Initiative on May 11, 2010.
While aimed at ensuring patient safety and high-quality care for all
Veterans, the initiative will affect only a very small number of
surgical procedures. VA provided over 357,000 inpatient surgeries for
Veterans during 2009, and based on 2009 figures anticipates that 0.1
percent of "intermediate" or "complex" surgeries (approximately 364)
would now be referred to another provider.
VA's surgical review program will be continuous, expand to include
standards for outpatient surgery, and provide a key tool for ongoing
health system improvement. Each of VA's 21 hospital networks has
developed a surgical strategic plan to ensure that Veterans receive
needed care while facilities strengthen quality, safety and service.
The VA health care system serves nearly 6 million Veterans each year and
is the 2010 recipient of the leadership award of the American College of
Medical Quality. The VA health care system is committed to public
accountability by publishing its quality performance data online at
www.hospitalcompare.va.gov (http://www.hospitalcompare.va.gov/) <http://www.hospitalcompare.va.gov/ (http://www.hospitalcompare.va.gov/)> .
the nation's largest health care system, today announced measures to
ensure that all inpatient surgeries are performed under the safest
possible conditions at facilities with the resources to support them.
VA is the first hospital system to conduct a comprehensive review to
determine what level of inpatient surgeries may be performed in each of
its 112 surgery programs.
"VA began this major undertaking in 2007 to close and prevent gaps in
surgical care," said Dr. Robert Petzel, VA's Under Secretary of Health.
"Our mission is to provide the best health care to Veterans, and we are
determined to meet uncompromising standards for inpatient surgery."
After an expert work group's review of surgical standards, VA conducted
on-site studies of each of its hospitals between June 2009 and March
2010. As a result, VA has assigned each of its medical centers an
inpatient "surgical complexity" level -- complex, intermediate or
standard.
Based on appropriate criteria developed by 16 surgical advisory boards
including 80 experts, VA has authorized 66 hospitals to conduct
"complex" inpatient surgeries; 33 hospitals to conduct "intermediate"
inpatient surgeries; and 13 to conduct "standard" inpatient surgeries.
Hospitals with a "complex" rating require special infrastructure
(facilities, equipment and staff) allowing intricate operations, such as
cardiac surgery, craniotomies and total pancreatectomies. Those with an
"intermediate" rating may perform surgeries such as colon resections,
repairs of abdominal aortic aneurysms and complete joint replacement.
Those with a "standard" complexity rating may perform inpatient
surgeries requiring limited infrastructure, such as hernia repair,
cholecystecomy, urologic procedures and ENT surgeries.
"We are committed to expand Veteran access to quality care," added
Petzel. "If a patient requires a surgical procedure that exceeds the
facility's complexity rating, VA will ensure that the patient receives
the required care from another provider."
Five facilities that have previously conducted some "intermediate"
surgeries will now perform "standard" surgeries in-house and ensure that
Veterans obtain other procedures nearby from the best qualified
providers. These are the surgery programs at VA hospitals in
Alexandria, La.; Beckley, W.V.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Illiana at Danville,
Ill.; and Spokane, Wash.
VA does not anticipate that any Veteran surgery will need to be
rescheduled at these or other facilities due to the planned launch of
the Surgical Complexity Initiative on May 11, 2010.
While aimed at ensuring patient safety and high-quality care for all
Veterans, the initiative will affect only a very small number of
surgical procedures. VA provided over 357,000 inpatient surgeries for
Veterans during 2009, and based on 2009 figures anticipates that 0.1
percent of "intermediate" or "complex" surgeries (approximately 364)
would now be referred to another provider.
VA's surgical review program will be continuous, expand to include
standards for outpatient surgery, and provide a key tool for ongoing
health system improvement. Each of VA's 21 hospital networks has
developed a surgical strategic plan to ensure that Veterans receive
needed care while facilities strengthen quality, safety and service.
The VA health care system serves nearly 6 million Veterans each year and
is the 2010 recipient of the leadership award of the American College of
Medical Quality. The VA health care system is committed to public
accountability by publishing its quality performance data online at
www.hospitalcompare.va.gov (http://www.hospitalcompare.va.gov/) <http://www.hospitalcompare.va.gov/ (http://www.hospitalcompare.va.gov/)> .