Surgery Team at Children's National Health System Attains Prestigious Level 1 Verification from the American College of Surgeons

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Children's National Health System has been verified as a Level 1 Children's Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons Children's Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program (ACS CSV). This distinction recognizes surgery centers whose quality improvement programs have measurably improved pediatric surgical quality, prevented complications, reduced costs and saved lives.

"We are extremely proud to achieve the prestigious Level 1 Surgery Verification," says Anthony Sandler, M.D., senior vice president and surgeon-in-chief of the Joseph E. Robert, Jr., Center for Surgical Care at Children's National. "The rigorous standards and focus on meeting the unique needs of each patient make this distinction particularly meaningful to us."

The CSV program was developed to improve the safety and quality of children's surgical care. Level 1 designation is given to hospitals who meet the standards for care outlined in Optimal Resources for Children's Surgical Care 2015. These standards help to ensure children facing surgery receive care under a multidisciplinary program with quality improvement and safety processes, data collection and appropriate pediatric resources.

Children's National is one of just twelve children's hospitals nationwide to have earned this verification. To become a verified center, Children's National met the essential criteria for staffing, training, facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to appropriately care for pediatric surgical patients.

About Children's National Health System
Children's National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has served the nation's children since 1870. Children's National is one of the nation's Top 5 pediatric hospitals and, for a second straight year, is ranked No. 1 in newborn care, as well as ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. It has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C. Metropolitan area, including the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Home to the Children's Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National is the seventh-highest NIH-funded pediatric institution in the nation. Children's National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. For more information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the quality of care for surgical patients. Its achievements have placed it at the forefront of American surgery and have made the College an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

SOURCE Children's National Health System