The Elliot Becomes First and Only Hospital in New England -- And One of Just Two Nationwide -- To Earn Top ACS Surgical Quality Verification

In a national milestone for surgical excellence, The Elliot Health System has been verified as a Comprehensive Hospital by the American College of Surgeons Quality Verification Program (ACS QVP)—the only hospital in New England and just the second in the entire United States to earn this prestigious designation. This is the highest possible designation for delivering safe, high-quality surgical care. This recognition reflects The Elliot’s success in meeting the ACS’s most rigorous standards for surgical quality, safety, and patient outcomes.

ACS QVP verification is the highest level of commitment a hospital can make to ensure that all patients receive optimal surgical care. It assesses the hospital’s core program for surgical quality and its reach across surgical specialties. QVP-verified hospitals undergo a rigorous evaluation process where providers across departments and at every level demonstrate a coordinated effort in using data and clear processes to achieve the best care and highest quality outcomes.

“Earning the American College of Surgeons Comprehensive Quality Verification is a powerful testament to the teamwide commitment, collaboration, and expertise that define surgical care at The Elliot,” said Elliot Health System President and CEO, Dr. Greg Baxter. “To be just the second hospital in the nation—and the only one in New England—to achieve this designation reflects our unwavering dedication to surgical excellence and a culture of safety. It also reaffirms our mission to inspire wellness, heal our patients and serve with compassion—and our vision to be your first choice to both give and receive care in our region.”

As an ACS QVP hospital, The Elliot underwent a rigorous, systemwide evaluation across all inpatient and outpatient surgical specialties. The assessment includes customized, actionable recommendations—such as how to engage everyone from hospital leadership to frontline physicians to establish a generative safety and quality culture. 

ACS QVP is based on 12 program standards, outlined in the Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety 2021 ACS QVP Standards manual. The ACS QVP standards are adapted from core elements of the Optimal Resources for Surgical Quality and Safety. 

The Elliot is also a participant in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP®). ACS NSQIP is the first nationally validated, outcomes-based program to measure and improve the quality of surgical care. Participating hospitals collect data that provides in-depth analysis, helping surgical teams better understand and tailor care to patient needs. Hospitals participating in this program can reduce preventable surgical problems to achieve higher quality.

As an ACS QVP-verified hospital, The Elliot also becomes an ACS Surgical Quality Partner. Being a Surgical Quality Partner signifies a hospital’s dedication to consistently improving procedures and approaches, while maintaining a critical eye on process at every step. The Surgical Quality Partner designation lets patients know The Elliot is dedicated to quality and relentless self-improvement and has now been verified or accredited by the ACS. Patients can trust that the care they receive at Surgical Quality Partner hospitals adheres to the most rigorous standards in surgical quality.

"ACS Quality programs are grounded in more than a century of experience and participation is an important measure of a hospital’s surgical quality. As an ACS Surgical Quality Partner, The Elliot has shown a commitment providing the best possible patient care, evaluating that care in a rigorous fashion, and dedicating themselves to continuous self-improvement," said ACS Executive Director & Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS.