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'Meritorious': Burnaby, New West hospitals recognized internationally for surgical care

The award is a 'testament' to the hospitals' surgical teams ability to work together, said a Fraser Health executive.
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Two Fraser Health hospitals, Burnaby and Royal Columbian, have been recognized internationally for their efforts to improve surgical outcomes for adult patients.

An international ranking of surgical care is out and the only two B.C. hospitals listed are in Burnaby and New Westminster.

Burnaby Hospital and Royal Columbian Hospital are counted among 78 hospitals for their efforts to improve surgical outcomes for adult patients in 2022, according to the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP).

The organization said the hospitals achieved "meritorious outcomes." 

The selection committee considered 615 hospitals, which are required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures and collect data that assesses patient safety, according to a Fraser Health press release.

That data can be used to improve the quality of surgical care.

Burnaby Hospital and Royal Columbian were both recognized in the "all cases" and "high risk" categories for outcomes in eight areas:

  • mortality
  • cardiac
  • pneumonia
  • unplanned intubation
  • ventilator for more than 48 hours
  • renal failure
  • surgical site infection
  • urinary tract infection

"The NSQIP award serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts of Royal Columbian Hospital's skilled medical professionals, including surgeons, nurses, and support staff," said Cecilia Li, Royal Columbian's director of clinical operations, in the release.

"Achieving this award through ACS NSQIP is testament to the Royal Columbian and Burnaby Hospital’s surgical teams' ability to work together in the pursuit of providing the best care and outcomes for our surgical patients," added Lesli Matheson, executive director of clinical quality and strategic priorities at Fraser Health.