Health care professionals dedicated to raising the bar on the quality of surgical care and patient safety are invited to attend the American College of Surgeons (ACS) 2021 Quality and Safety Conference VIRTUAL, July 12–16.
As with the 2020 conference, the 2021 ACS Quality and Safety Conference VIRTUAL will be offered free of charge this year to encourage worldwide participation. More than 10,000 individuals participated in the 2020 conference, and one of this year’s objectives is to reach an even broader audience to share best practices and top research around surgical quality and patient safety while maintaining social distancing.
Attendees will appreciate a combination of on-demand content and live sessions. The on-demand sessions will be released at the start of the conference to allow attendees to peruse topics of interest and view presentations at their own pace. The other portion of the agenda will lend itself to live presentations, panel discussions, and interactive question-and-answer sessions.
The conference will include world-class experts on content centered on the following ACS Quality Programs:
- Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP)
- National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®)
- Children’s Surgery Verification (CSV) Program
- Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) Program
- ACS Quality Verification Program (ACS QVP)
- Cancer
Back by popular demand is the basics of Quality Improvement (QI), an invaluable series of QI sessions. The sequence will guide participants through an overview, introduce them to basic key principles, and explain how to perform a QI project from start to finish.
The agenda will include additional QI sessions focusing on tools and principles, and content on Improving Surgical Care and Recovery (ISCR) will be provided. Additional hot topics and themes covered this year include the following:
- Disparities, equity, and inclusion
- Global health
- Value improvement
- Strong for Surgery
- Emergency general surgery
The 2021 keynote speaker, chef Eduardo Garcia, will share his recovery journey after being shocked with more than 2,400 volts of electricity in an accident while hunting deep in Montana’s backcountry. Mr. Garcia will explain how he remained steadfast on his road to recovery and rehabilitation after losing an arm in the near-death accident.
Virtual networking and engagement opportunities will be offered. The clinical teams from various ACS Quality Programs are hosting social networking activities, trivia sessions, and other engaging events for the Surgical Clinical Reviewers and data abstractors.
There also will be ACS Quality Program “virtual booths” for both participants and nonparticipants alike to ask questions, gather information, and engage with ACS staff. The Virtual Poster Gallery, comprising hundreds of thoughtful surgical research and workflow process improvement abstracts, will be another draw as attendees will be encouraged to vote for the best poster.
Visit the Quality & Safety Conference web page at facs.org/quality-programs/quality-safety-conference for additional details and a link to register.
