PeaceHealth RiverBend hospital in Springfield receives national recognition for surgical care
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SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – The American College of Surgeons has recognized PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend for excellence in patient safety and quality of surgical care.
RiverBend is one of 56 U.S. hospitals – 78 worldwide – recognized for “achieving meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care” in 2022. It was among 615 hospitals that participated in the respected American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.
“We are honored to be recognized by the American College of Surgeons for providing high-quality surgical care to our patients,” said Dr. Kim Ruscher, surgical chief medical officer at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend and a pediatric surgeon. “This honor speaks to skill and dedication not only of our surgeons, but of our surgical teams. Our surgeons, as well as our excellent medical and nursing staff, strive every day to provide the very best care for our patients.”
The goal of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program is to reduce surgical morbidity (infection or illness related to a surgical procedure) and surgical mortality (death related to a surgical procedure). It also aims to provide a firm foundation for surgeons to apply what is known as the “best scientific evidence” to the practice of surgery.
Hospitals were evaluated on outcomes for surgical care in these eight clinical areas:
- Mortality
- Cardiac arrest and myocardial infarction
- Pneumonia
- Unplanned intubation
- Ventilator use for more than 48 hours
- Renal failure
- Surgical site infections: superficial and deep incisional and organ/space
- Urinary tract infection
About PeaceHealth: Based in Vancouver, Wash., PeaceHealth is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth.
PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend is one of Oregon's busiest hospitals located in Springfield, Ore., 110 miles south of Portland. This 347-bed facility is one of the largest hospitals between Portland and San Francisco, serving as a Level II Trauma Center for an eight-county region. Key services for the not-for-profit hospital include cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, oncology, orthopedics, neonatal intensive care, neurosurgery and other specialized surgical services. Visit us online at peacehealth.org.
About the American College of Surgeons: The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
