The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute has been identified as a Carotid Care Quality Champion by the Society for Vascular Surgery® Vascular Quality Initiative® (SVS VQI) clinical registry recognition program.
The program honors health care organizations across the country dedicated to improving the safety and effectiveness of vascular care through participation and engagement in VQI’s carotid artery stenting and carotid endarterectomy registries.
Facilities across the United States rely on SVS VQI to support their commitment to quality care for their vascular patients and help them adhere to the latest professional guidelines. In October 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final decision pertaining to coverage for carotid artery stenting. Registry participation is recommended by CMS to maintain the most appropriate approach to quality and compliance to the highest standards for carotid stent programs. The SVS VQI is the premier national registry that allows centers to develop and maintain a full carotid treatment quality assurance program.
Since its inception, the SVS VQI has been the basis for hundreds of quality assurance and quality improvement programs at hospitals throughout the U.S. and Canada. Clinical data gathered from participating centers has led to scientific discoveries that have changed clinical practice and dramatically improved patient care. Participating SVS VQI centers include academic medical centers, teaching hospitals, community hospitals, vein centers, office-based labs and individual physician practices.
“This prestigious recognition for vascular surgical quality is but one in a long line of accolades awarded to the Vascular Division of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute,” said Dr. Vinay Badhwar, executive chair of the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute and professor and chair of the WVU Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. “I am proud of the unwavering commitment to quality practiced by all of our vascular surgeons under the superb leadership of Dr. Zimmerman.”
“The WVU Heart and Vascular Institute is proud to be recognized by SVS VQI as a Carotid Care Quality Champion, a distinction that reflects our commitment to tracking patient outcomes and improving the quality of care at our institution,” said Dr. Pamela Zimmerman, division chief of Vascular Surgery at the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute. “Our participation in the VQI allows us to monitor performance, benchmark outcomes and provide the best possible care for our patients.”
VQI participation offers centers the ability to:
- track provider and center performance and compare to national benchmarks;
- identify areas for quality improvement and address length of stay;
- participate in a robust quality improvement program, with access to quality improvement toolkits, quality charters, webinars and one-on-one mentoring for members; and
- network with other participating centers to review outcomes data, foster collaboration and spark further clinical innovation.
“Improving outcomes is a top priority for SVS VQI and our quality champions,” said Dr. Jens Eldrup-Jorgensen, medical director, SVS Patient Safety Organization. “This recognition is only awarded to facilities that are demonstrating their commitment to quality through use of our carotid registries and leveraging real-world data to inform needed adjustments in care delivery. By working together, we are able to strive for the best possible outcomes and advance vascular care.”
SVS VQI registries are powered by the Fivos PATHWAYS® platform, a secure, cloud-based solution for data collection and analysis. Using PATHWAYS, SVS VQI participating providers can utilize real-time reporting to benchmark performance, while device manufacturers can develop custom projects that leverage registry data to accelerate device development, evaluation or approval.
To learn more, visit VQI.org. For more information about the WVU Heart and Vascular Institute, visit WVUMedicine.org/Heart.
