Accreditation, Verification, and Quality Improvement Programs
Inspiring Quality: Highest Standards, Better Outcomes
Since it's founding in 1913, quality surgical patient care has always been the core principle of the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
The College is an association that was organized for the primary purpose of improving the quality of care for surgical patients by elevating the standards of surgical education and practice.
In the early 20th century, the College pioneered the establishment of a nationwide program for hospital accreditation, this effort eventually became the Joint Commission. In addition, ACS has been a pioneer in organizing the profession to improve the care of critically injured patients, and patients with cancer. These activities are still very much at the forefront of the work that the College does today through its Committee on Trauma and Commission on Cancer.
In recent years, the College has been fervently working to help surgical teams in hospitals improve their surgical outcomes, by reducing patient mortality and morbidity rates. Additionally the College has been working with interested bariatric surgical care facilities to set a high standard of performance in the delivery of surgical care for patients undergoing surgical procedures to treat obesity. And the College has led a consortium of 15 health care organizations to work together to improve the quality of care and the monitoring of outcomes for patients with diseases of the breast.
Learn more about our accreditation, verification, and quality improvement programs in the areas of
- Breast disease (National Accreditation Program of Breast Centers)
- Cancer care (Commission on Cancer)
- Trauma care
- Bariatric Surgical Centers (Bariatric Surgery Center Network Accreditation Program)
- Improving surgical outcomes in hospitals, including pediatric facilities (National Surgical Quality Improvement Program).
Revised February 7, 2011