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CHKD surgery program earns prestigious certification from American College of Surgeons

Posted at 7:42 PM, Mar 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-12 19:42:58-04

Photo credit: Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD)

NORFOLK, Va. – Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters received the American College of Surgeons’ highest level of certification for pediatric hospital surgical programs.

This is one of just 15 centers nationwide to have earned this designation.

Dr. Robert Kelly, chief of surgery at CHKD, announced on Tuesday that the hospital’s surgical program, which includes the main hospital in Norfolk and surgery centers at Concert Drive in Virginia Beach and Oyster Point in Newport News, has been verified as a prestigious Level I center.

The centers met rigorous criteria for staffing, training, facility features, and protocols for care in a program that aims to raise the level of children’s surgical care across the country.

The initiative began certifying centers in 2015 that could show continuous efforts to improve surgical quality, prevent complications, reduce costs, and save lives.

The verification requires a site visit by a panel that includes an experienced pediatric surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurse, which reviews the program for a multidisciplinary approach and a unique focus on each patient.

The center also participate in a national data registry to track and compare its processes and outcomes and devise ways to improve them as part of the requirements.

The Level I centers must offer multiple medical and surgical specialties with procedures for major congenital anomalies and complex diseases.

“This has been a team effort, and we’re extremely proud to have achieved this distinction,” said Dr. Kelly. “It’s a reflection of the full commitment of every partner on the team, and a testament to the high level of care we provide to children throughout the region.”