ACS conference charts bold future for surgical quality with data, teamwork, frontline innovation

Editor's Note

Surgical quality leaders are pushing boundaries with new strategies that blend technology, frontline engagement, and national-local collaboration. That was the message from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Quality and Safety Conference (QSC), held July 17–20, 2025, in San Diego, according to a September 10 ACS report.

The meeting, which marked 20 years since the ACS expanded the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, drew 1,500 attendees under the theme, “Embracing Change and the Future of Quality.” Bruce L. Hall, MD, FACS, program director for QSC, highlighted how ACS NSQIP transformed surgical culture and improved millions of patient lives, while Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, senior vice president of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, announced a new ACS clinical data strategy in partnership with Epic Systems. This multiyear effort, involving several technology firms, aims to streamline data collection, reduce costs, and accelerate quality improvement.

Health information technology was a focal point, with Genevieve Melton-Meaux, MD, PhD, FACS, ACS chief health informatics officer, noting the need to automate data procurement and integrate AI into registries to speed analysis. At the same time, Dr Ko emphasized that small-scale, frontline quality improvement (QI) remains essential. To support these efforts, ACS and The Healthcare Improvement Studies Institute developed the Early Planning of Small-Scale Surgical Improvement Projects Tool, which guides teams through nine core planning domains.

Speakers also highlighted the power of multidisciplinary collaboration. Nakeisha Tolliver, DNP, MBA, RN, NE-BC, CNOR, CSSM, director of perioperative services at Texas Children's Hospital and past AORN president, described how perioperative nurses have become compliance leaders through initiatives like the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist and now face expanded roles in informatics, robotics, and patient safety. Komal Bajaj, MD, MS-HPEd, from NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, urged teams to complement root cause analysis with “success cause analysis” that studies high-functioning cases to replicate effective practices.

The conference also showcased large-scale impact through the Commission on Cancer’s Breaking Barriers project, which targeted radiation therapy no-shows. Early results showed a nearly 40% reduction in missed appointments and 1,600 more patients completing optimal therapy. Local experiences, such as Seattle’s focus on transportation barriers, revealed how context shapes patient access and how social workers often buffer systemic gaps, highlighting the need for nuanced evaluation of barriers beyond surface-level metrics.

Across sessions, the QSC reinforced the future of surgical quality will depend on combining robust data strategies with local innovation, while harnessing the collective strength of multidisciplinary teams to create safer, more effective perioperative care.