AHSQC Leadership Announces Organizational Transformation and Rebranding as the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative Foundation

USA - English

• USA - English

DENVER, July 9, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The year 2020 will always be associated with extraordinary events across the globe and here in the US. During this unprecedented time of change, the AHSQC leadership took the opportunity to reflect on the organization's mission and consider avenues to broaden its positive impact and collaborative outreach.

Recognizing the needs of patients extend beyond surgical hernia repair, the Americas Hernia Society Quality Collaborative Foundation is excited to announce its transformation into the "Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative Foundation" (ACHQC) effective July 1, 2020.

Benjamin Poulose, MD, MPH, ACHQC Director of Quality and Outcomes has been spearheading the drive to redefine the discipline of hernia surgery and establish abdominal core health as a new field. "The concept of abdominal core health really resonates with patients who come to us wanting to focus on health and not dwell on disease," shared Dr. Poulose. "Our surgeons care for abdominal core conditions beyond hernias and importantly, our new name acknowledges the role we play as part of a comprehensive care team dedicated to enhancing and supporting the long term health and quality of life of our patients."

Over the past 7 years, the ACHQC membership has grown to include over 425 surgeons across the country who, collectively donate thousands of hours to the Collaborative each year. Thanks to these dedicated surgeons, the ACHQC registry currently contains information on over 65,000 patients.

"We are always striving to advance our mission in positive, thoughtful and inclusive ways," stated Michael Rosen, ACHQC Medical Director. "Our new Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative branding embodies our holistic approach of utilizing real world data across interrelated specialties to improve the continuum of care of patients requiring surgical treatment of abdominal core disorders."

Through robust data collection and rigorous analyses, the ACHQC seeks to understand and improve the patient experience and freely shares meaningful resources with patients and care teams. These include 48 peer reviewed publications, the QC mobile app, Abdominal Core Surgery Patient and Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Guides, and informational handouts to educate patients on the risk of opioids and offer alternative pain management options following abdominal surgery.

Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative programs are supported by Foundation Partners Medtronic, Allergan Aesthetics, BD-Bard, Intuitive Surgical, Cook Biotech, Ethicon, Inc. and W.L. Gore.

For more information about the ACHQC Foundation, visit http://www.achqc.org or contact [email protected].

About the ACHQC: Through continuous quality improvement, real world data collection, rigorous analysis and collaborative learning, the ACHQC identifies areas where abdominal core health may be enhanced and shares this information in meaningful ways that have direct impact on patient care. The ACHQC is a CMS Qualified Clinical Data Registry and is an authoritative resource for organizations to assess quality metrics and demonstrate a commitment to efficient, value-based patient centered care. Participation in the ACHQC is free to surgeons and fulfills Part 4 of the American Board of Surgery Maintenance of Certification Program.
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Poulose BK, Adrales GL, Janis JE. Abdominal Core Health—A Needed Field in Surgery. JAMA Surg. 2020;155(3):185–186. doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2019.5055.

SOURCE ACHQC