National Impact: American College of Surgeons Takes Charge of Strong for Surgery
April 26, 2016
We recently announced that Strong for Surgery has been adopted by the American College of Surgeons, and oversight of the program will soon be shifting to this influential national organization. As this transition moves forward, we'll share updates through this blog, our newsletter, Twitter, and Facebook. Expect more great things to come!
The Nutrition Checklist & Surgical Outcomes
September 1, 2015
This summer we began a study designed to examine the impact of the Strong for Surgery Nutrition Checklist on surgical outcomes. To do this, we're looking at two Washington State hospital datasets: the Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program (SCOAP) will provide information about procedures, and the Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System (CHARS) will give further insight into inpatient hospital admissions and discharge information. By linking these two sources, we can get a better picture of how use of the Nutrition Checklist has influenced how well patients do after surgery.
We believe the Strong for Surgery Nutrition Checklist has helped improve care and outcomes in hospitals that have implemented it around the Northwest since the program started in 2012. Our hope is that this study will provide strong data to support further use and adoption of the checklist in the Northwest and beyond! We'll continue to share updates about this work through this blog, Twitter, and Facebook. Follow us for more great things to come!
Strong for Surgery Celebrates 3 Years of Improving Patient Outcomes
May 14, 2015
Strong for Surgery launched in Washington State three years ago on May 14, 2012, at the SCOAP Annual Meeting. At that time, Medical Director, Dr. Tom Varghese Jr. had an ambitious goal: to help every surgical patient become healthier and better prepared for their surgery. His enthusiasm caught the attention of clinicians and healthcare organizations all over the Northwest, and the Strong for Surgery program has grown from our first six pilot sites to now 50 hospitals and clinics representing more than 200 surgeons. By our estimates, over 5,500 patients have been screened using the Strong for Surgery checklists to help optimize their health for surgery!
We attribute our success to our dedicated stakeholders—from surgeon champions and enthusiastic clinicians, to community leaders—and we are incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. As we celebrate this exciting milestone, we look forward to more exciting developments to be announced in the near future. Stay up-to-date with Strong for Surgery by following us on Twitter, liking us on Facebook, subscribing to our newsletter, and reading our blog.
