Healthcare professionals dedicated to raising the bar on the quality of surgical care and patient safety are invited to attend the 2025 ACS Quality and Safety Conference, July 17–20, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. Registration is now open at facs.org/qsc2025.
The 2025 conference marks 2 decades of collaboration, progress, and dedication to raising the standards of surgical practice and improving patient care. The 20th anniversary represents not only a celebration of collective achievements, but also an opportunity to envision the future.
The evolution of surgical quality and safety has been driven by those willing to innovate, adapt, and challenge the status quo. To match that ethos, the theme of this year’s conference is “Embracing Change and the Future of Quality.”
Sessions Will Look Forward—and Back
This year’s sessions will reflect on the past, assess the present, and explore the future of surgical care, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, resilience, and quality improvement (QI) in surgery.
As always, the Quality and Safety Conference is a premier event for multidisciplinary and international collaboration, where healthcare professionals from around the world come together to share best practices, discuss challenges, and develop strategies to enhance surgical patient care.
This year’s programming is designed to foster meaningful dialogue, connecting experts from diverse backgrounds to exchange insights on achieving high-quality care. These discussions will feature emerging and trending topics, including the future of registry concepts, artificial intelligence, and measurement and reimbursement.
Attendees also will be able to engage with staff from the ACS Quality Programs, including the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program® and Quality Verification Program, to learn how to meet and exceed standards.
Array of Workshops
Seven optional preconference workshops will provide hands-on experiences on a selection of relevant, focused topics (additional fees and registration required):
- “QI Basics” will teach the fundamentals of QI projects, including methodology, use of data, overcoming barriers, and more.
- “Learning from Failure in QI” will touch on why QI projects fail, how to prepare for failure, and strategies to overcome common barriers.
- “Become the Next Generation of QI Experts” will equip QI staff with the skills to drive real change.
- “Essentials for an Effective QI Project Team” will be a combination of lectures and small group breakout sessions that provide real-life strategies on building, maintaining, and salvaging teams that are formed to complete a QI project.
- “Anchoring Excellence: How to Build an Enduring Children’s Surgery Verification Program and Onboard a New Crew” will provide an overview of Children’s Surgery Verification, including components of the program, key leadership roles, the path to Children’s Surgery Verification, and a discussion about common challenges.
- “Better Together: QI Experts and Surgeons” will detail strategies for overcoming barriers, engaging stakeholders, and driving lasting improvements in surgical quality.
- “Surgical Excellence for Older Adults: A Hands-On Experience” will explore the power of data-driven quality improvement, emphasizing its impact on patient outcomes and return on investment.
Networking Opportunities
Two dedicated social events are planned to foster interaction and collaboration among QI experts and stakeholders:
- The Welcome Reception will be held Friday, July 18, at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. As attendees explore exhibits showcasing phenomenal technological advancements, they will be able to take a moment to reflect on how far surgical care has come—and how much farther there is to go when embracing progress.
- The Abstract Reception will be held on Saturday, July 19, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego, and attendees will be able to engage with authors of leading research in surgical quality and safety.
An opportunity to earn Continuing Medical Education and Continuing Nursing Education credits will be available.
Visit facs.org/qsc2025 to learn more.
