On behalf of the American College of Surgeons, I am pleased to invite you to attend the 2024 ACS Quality and Safety Conference in Denver, Colorado, also known as the “Mile High City.” This year’s meeting will feature new, dynamic content, which is intended to foster a more interactive and engaging experience.
There is no better place than QSC to learn about the latest developments in quality, safety, and best practices. QSC convenes healthcare professionals from around the world who are at the forefront of improving surgical patient care. The theme of this year’s conference is “Power of Value: Expanding Your Impact.” You all have vital perspectives on the value of quality and how to achieve high-quality care for patients. Our goal is to put you in conversation with your peers, so that we all can benefit from those perspectives.
This year’s content is designed to generate that discussion by combining the old with the new. We are excited to introduce a workshop-style general session, and we will offer our traditional breakouts from the established ACS Quality Programs. Last year’s successful Quality Improvement Basics Workshop will return, alongside new workshops:
- How to Not Fail at Failing: Mastering the Art of Learning from Failure in QI, which will show you how to recover from setbacks in QI
- From Apprentice to Master, meant to accelerate learning for novice SCRs and MBSCRs
- Harmonizing Excellence: A Symphony of QI, a crash course in how to not only implement solutions but maintain them in the long term
- Health Services Research Methods, which will give you hands-on experience with taking health services and outcomes research from start to finish.
Together with our main sessions, this year’s workshops represent a unique opportunity to gain the tools needed to make a difference in patient care.
To provide opportunities for networking, we offer multiple social events. On Friday, come ready to see what the survey says, as I host our very first Quality Rumble: Family Feud Showdown. Later that evening you can relax at the Welcome Reception held in the Colorado Convention Center’s Rooftop Terrace, which features breathtaking views of the Rocky Mountains and Denver skyline. On Saturday, join the Abstract Reception and meet authors of leading research in surgical quality and safety. You are likely to see new faces this year.
In the spirit of collaboration, we have accepted abstracts from more surgical disciplines. We have invited the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses and the American Society of Anesthesiologists to host sessions. And we have built sessions dedicated to environmental sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Whether you are a surgeon, nurse, or any other QI professional—and whether you are from general surgery, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, or any other surgical discipline—anyone dedicated to improving patient care will find others who share their passion at QSC.
It is my sincere hope you will find the 2024 ACS Quality and Safety Conference educational, rewarding, and motivating. We want to provide you with new knowledge and practical insights you can use to improve quality and safety at your organization.
Sincerely,
Clifford Y. Ko, MD, MS, MSHS, FACS, FASCRS
Director, ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care
