Awards, Children's Health

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital’s Surgery Center earns national verification from the American College of Surgeons

The only Level 1 Surgery Center of its kind in West Michigan

July 12, 2021

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 12, 2021 – Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital announced today that its surgical center has been verified as a Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program (ACS CSV), the only West Michigan hospital with this verification.

“We are honored that Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has earned this prestigious verification as a Level 1 Surgery Center as it is a reflection of our outstanding team,” said Hossain Marandi, MD, MBA, FACHE, president, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. “Several studies have demonstrated that surgical outcomes are better when procedures are performed in a children’s hospital that specializes in the care of pediatric patients. Being a Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center means parents and caregivers can take comfort in knowing that Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has expert surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, radiologists, intensivists and all other staff to care for the most complex pediatric surgical patients, from premature babies to teenagers.”

The ACS CSV program was developed to improve the quality of children’s surgical care by creating a system that allows for a prospective match of every child’s individual surgical needs with a care environment that has optimal pediatric resources. Verified centers must meet criteria outlined in the standards document, Optimal Resources for Children’s Surgical Care 2015. CSV standards ensure that children facing surgery receive care under a multidisciplinary program with quality improvement and safety processes, data collection and appropriate resources provided to them as patients at the hospital.

The CSV program is based on other nationally recognized American College of Surgeons quality improvement programs that have measurably improved surgical quality and have prevented complications, reduced costs and saved lives.

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital’s commitment to quality care begins with appropriately trained staff and leadership from surgeons who participate in meetings throughout the year to review the center’s surgical outcomes. The surgical team seeks continuous improvement to enhance the structure, process, and outcomes of the center.

To become a verified center, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital met essential criteria for staffing, training facility infrastructure and protocols for care, ensuring its ability to appropriately care for children who are surgical patients. The center also participates in a national data registry that yields semiannual reports on the quality of its processes and outcomes, thus identifying opportunities for continuous quality improvement.

After submitting an application, centers seeking verification undergo an extensive site visit by an ACS team of surveyors. The surveyor teams consist of experienced children’s surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses who review the center’s structure, process and clinical outcomes data. The current Optimal Resources for Children’s Surgical Care manual drives the application and is used as a guideline in conducting the survey.

Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is a 242-bed national referral center and teaching hospital, providing comprehensive clinical care to the children of West Michigan and beyond. It offers advanced pediatric specialty care with more than 300 pediatric physicians who practice in 70 pediatric specialties and programs. The hospital also provides care close to home in over 50 regional clinics and shares its expertise through Partners in Children’s Health: a collaboration with more than 30 hospitals throughout Michigan. Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital has been recognized as one of nation’ best children’s hospitals by US News and World Report for 10 years in a row.

About the American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational association of surgeons
that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical education and practice and to improve the quality of care for surgical patients. Its achievements have placed it at the forefront of American surgery and have made the College an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 80,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world.

About Spectrum Health
Spectrum Health is a not-for-profit health system that provides care and coverage, comprising 31,000+ team members, 14 hospitals (including Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital), a robust network of care facilities, teams of nationally recognized doctors and providers, and the nation’s third-largest provider-sponsored health plan, Priority Health, currently serving over 1 million members across the state of Michigan.

People are at the heart of everything we do. Locally governed and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, we are focused on our mission: to improve health, inspire hope and save lives. Spectrum Health has a legacy of strong community partnerships, philanthropy and transparency. Through experience, innovation and collaboration, we are reimagining a better, more equitable model of health and wellness.