New this year! QI Essentials is a refreshed, fast-paced evolution of the traditional QI Basics Workshop designed for today's busy healthcare professionals. This condensed format delivers the most essential quality improvement concepts in a shorter, highly focused experience. Attendees will gain practical tools, updated frameworks, and real-world examples they can apply immediately. This workshop is for those interested in quality improvement or looking for a modern refresher. QI Essentials offers a streamlined, engaging introduction to QI, reimagined for how we learn and work today. Please note: The QI Essentials Workshop registration fee is $125 per person. The QI Basics Online Course is available for an additional fee and is not included in the workshop registration cost. A 50% discount on the online course is available to registered workshop participants in the following member categories: Fellow, Associate, APFEL US/Canada; Fellow, Associate, APFEL High; Nonmember Fellow US/Canada; and Nonmember Fellow High, Mid-Low, and Low. The discount is non-transferable, and a promotional code will be provided following completion of the workshop.

Join us for this year's dynamic preconference session focused on advancing Age-Friendly care through technological innovations, the utilization of artificial intelligence in the clinical setting, and practical implementation strategies. The session will open with an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Age-Friendly Hospital Measure presented by the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, offering critical insight into regulatory alignment and national priorities shaping health care delivery. Through a blend of expert-led presentations, interactive breakout discussions, and actionable implementation tools, participants will explore how technology and artificial intelligence can enhance clinical outcomes and operational efficiency for older adult surgical care. The session will examine the significance of the Age-Friendly Hospital Measure and its implications for health systems, while outlining strategies to align Age-Friendly initiatives with organizational priorities, quality metrics, and financial sustainability. Participants will also gain clarity on the business case for engaging in Geriatric Surgery Verification programs and enrolling to drive measurable, system-wide impact. Designed to move beyond theory into practical application, this session equips attendees with the insight and strategies needed to lead meaningful change in surgical care for older adults.

This introductory workshop equips quality improvement professionals with foundational Microsoft Excel skills for organizing, analyzing, and visualizing improvement data. Through guided, hands-on instruction, attendees will build confidence in core Excel functions and tools that support everyday QI work. Participants will leave with practical skills they can immediately apply to data management and reporting tasks. Attendees must bring a laptop or device with Excel installed to fully participate.

This intermediate-level workshop guides quality improvement professionals in using Excel pivot tables, pivot charts, and Power Query to analyze and combine complex data sets. Through step-by-step, hands-on practice, attendees will strengthen their data manipulation and visualization skills for more efficient analysis. Participants will leave with practical techniques to manage larger data sets and generate clearer insights. Basic Excel knowledge is required, and attendees must bring a laptop with Excel installed. *Limited space available for this workshop.

This session shines a spotlight on Elliot Hospital's development of a unified case review system that identifies opportunities for improvement in surgical care while ensuring accountability for follow-through. By integrating event reporting, action item tracking, and loop-closure processes, the hospital established a reliable pathway from case review to corrective action, contributing to its designation as a QVP Comprehensive Hospital. Participants will learn practical strategies for translating case review findings into sustained, measurable improvement.

This roundtable spotlights how the Geisinger Health System tackled a critical gap in post-bariatric surgery care, specifically preventable emergency room (ER) visits. Through a targeted quality-improvement initiative focused on patient education, care coordination, and early intervention, the team achieved a significant reduction in ER utilization while improving the patient experience. Panelists will share practical strategies, data-driven insights, and lessons learned that can be applied across health systems. Please join our conversation to learn how alignment from the C-suite to the bedside can enable the redesign of post-surgical care and drive better outcomes after bariatric surgery.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping both how abstractors work and how they contribute to quality improvement. This session examines lessons from early AI implementations and the evolving role of abstractors as Quality Professionals. Attendees will explore where AI has delivered meaningful time savings, where it has limitations, and how to use AI-enabled insights to interpret trends, validate signals, and collaborate more effectively with clinicians and quality improvement teams. Participants will leave with practical guidance to strengthen both organizational impact and professional growth.

This hands-on workshop style session will help participants make sense of their data and use it more effectively to guide quality improvement efforts. Using real-world scenarios, collaborative group activities, and rapid decision-making exercises, attendees will learn how to identify meaningful opportunities for improvement, even when performance appears to meet expectations, understand when to use raw versus risk-adjusted data, and validate results before taking action. Participants will leave with a practical framework and tools to interpret reports with confidence and translate insights into purposeful, data-driven decisions.

This session explores the financial dimensions of Emergency General Surgery (EGS), focusing on strategies to improve efficiency, quality, and measurable value. Attendees will review recent EGS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) findings, examine efficiency-centered quality initiatives, and analyze data-driven approaches to understanding the true cost of EGS care. Participants will leave with practical tools to communicate program impact, support resource allocation, and strengthen long-term sustainability.

As technology evolves, so does its potential to improve the perioperative experience for older adults. This panel brings together clinical leaders and technology innovators to discuss how monitoring tools, digital platforms, and coordinated virtual support can optimize outcomes, improve safety, and enhance quality of life for older surgical patients. Attendees will gain insight into practical applications, implementation considerations, and emerging models of care.

Workforce shortages continue to affect healthcare delivery, particularly in rural communities with limited access to surgical care. This session examines strategies to support surgical team members pursuing rural practice, with a focus on mentorship, technical skill development, case selection, and systems-based efficiency. Attendees will explore models for local and remote mentorship and learn from real-world pitfalls and best practices. Participants, especially early career surgical team members, will leave with actionable strategies to build a resilient, effective, and sustainable rural practice.

This session examines how collaboration across quality programs strengthens surgical standards and improves patient outcomes. Attendees will gain insight into partnerships among Cancer Programs, the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSQIP), the Geriatric Surgery Verification (GSV) program, and the American Cancer Society, and how these collaborations advance accreditation, data-driven improvement, and comprehensive care.

This session reviews updates to standards within the Commission on Cancer (CoC), the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), and the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC). Attendees will gain clarity on recent changes, implementation expectations, and implications for accredited programs. Participants will leave prepared to align their processes and documentation with updated requirements.

This session showcases how Atrium Health has implemented Emergency General Surgery (EGS) as a coordinated service across a multihospital health system, leveraging the ACS EGS Verification Program and the NSQIP EGS Registry. Speakers will describe their experiences engaging surgeons and care teams across diverse hospital settings, using NSQIP EGS data to identify variation in outcomes and prioritize improvement efforts, and developing standardized EGS pathways to promote consistent, high-quality care. Practical lessons will be shared on fostering collaboration, translating data into action, and sustaining system-wide EGS quality improvement.BO13:

This session will highlight Northwell Health's implementation of the 4Ms, a core framework of age-friendly care developed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). The 4Ms framework ensures that care for older adults is aligned, evidence-based, and focused on what matters most. The 4Ms include What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility, and provide a practical approach for integrating patient-centered, team-based care into everyday clinical practice.

Artificial intelligence (AI) at the point of care can enhance clinical decision-making when thoughtfully designed and integrated into existing workflows. This session examines strategies to deliver decision support without contributing to alert fatigue, compares predictive models with rules-based approaches, and reviews methods for measuring AI's downstream impact on quality and outcomes. Attendees will leave with practical considerations for implementing AI tools responsibly and effectively. This session is intended for clinical and quality leaders evaluating AI-enabled decision support.

This dynamic workshop style session gives participants the opportunity to apply the EPoSSI framework to their own surgical quality improvement ideas in a collaborative, small-group setting. Through guided discussion from our EPoSSI experts and structured exercises, attendees will sharpen their thinking, gain new perspectives from peers, and explore practical ways to strengthen their approach. Participants will leave with greater clarity, a more systematic path forward, and actionable next steps to advance their QI projects.

The ACS Quality Verification Program (QVP) continues to evolve, strengthening its framework and expanding its global reach. This session highlights recent program enhancements, perspectives on international participation, and emerging data insights generated through QVP engagement. Attendees will gain a forward-looking understanding of how QVP supports hospitals worldwide in advancing quality, safety, and performance improvement. This session may be of interest for leaders engaged in or considering participation in QVP.

Health systems face a complex network of regulatory requirements related to quality and safety. This session reviews select current requirements and explores how they can be leveraged to drive meaningful improvements in patient care. Through real-world examples, attendees will learn how clinicians can align regulatory expectations with practical quality initiatives. Participants will leave with strategies to turn compliance obligations into opportunities for measurable improvement.

This session highlights actionable strategies from Vascular Verification Program (VVP) verified hospitals that successfully secured institutional resources, embedded sustainable quality processes, and demonstrated the impact of verification. Through specific examples, attendees will learn how to translate verification efforts into organizational support and measurable results. Participants will leave with practical approaches to strengthen their own vascular programs. This session may be of interest for leaders involved in vascular quality and verification initiatives.

This panel examines key recommendations from recent American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) guidelines on anesthesia care for older adults and regional analgesia for acute postoperative pain, and their implications for patient safety and surgical outcomes. Speakers will also discuss emerging evidence on GLP-1 inhibitors and its influence on perioperative decision-making. Attendees will gain practical insights to support interdisciplinary collaboration in developing local policies aligned with current evidence. This session may be of interest for surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and perioperative leaders.

This session demonstrates how participating NSQIP Pediatric and CSV hospitals articulate the value of program involvement to inform funding decisions. Attendees will learn practical approaches to communicating outcomes, impact, and return on investment to institutional leaders. Participants will leave with actionable strategies they can adapt to strengthen financial and organizational support at their own institutions. This session may be of interest for leaders responsible for sustaining pediatric quality programs.

This session will explore how optimizing surgical preference cards reduces waste, improves operating room efficiency, and lowers healthcare costs while maintaining high-quality patient care. Attendees will learn practical strategies to review and standardize preference cards, engage multidisciplinary teams and industry consultants, and align supplies with actual procedural needs to support both sustainability and cost-effective surgical care.

In this session, three accredited programs will present their quality improvement initiatives from initial concept through implementation and results. Speakers will share practical strategies for dissemination, publication, and presenting their work to broader audiences. Attendees will gain insight into structuring improvement efforts for impact and sustainability. This session may be of interest for teams seeking to elevate and share their quality improvement achievements.

Preparing for a site visit requires careful planning and attention to detail. In this session, Commission on Cancer (CoC), National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), and National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) Site Reviewers will share common pitfalls and practical strategies to help programs prepare effectively. Attendees will gain clarity on expectations and actionable steps to strengthen readiness for their next review. This session may be of interest for teams responsible for accreditation preparation and compliance.

This session shines a spotlight on Emory Healthcare's approach to first-case on-time starts, a critical, high-impact metric for operating room efficiency.

This session highlights how the University of Maryland Cancer Network aligns academic, rural, and community cancer programs around a unified, system-wide quality improvement goal. Attendees will learn how cross-setting collaboration, shared data, and coordinated leadership drive measurable improvements across diverse practice environments. Participants will leave with practical strategies for building alignment and sustaining performance across multiple sites. This session may be of interest for leaders managing multi-site cancer programs.

As AI becomes more integrated into healthcare and quality workflows, establishing trust and accountability is essential. This session focuses on best practices for managing discrepancies, maintaining transparency through audit trails, and determining when human judgment should override AI-driven outputs. Attendees will gain practical guidance to support responsible AI governance and oversight. This session may be of interest for clinical, operational, and quality leaders implementing AI tools.

A strong protocol is only effective when it is successfully implemented. This session examines the essential elements of high-quality protocols for specific procedures and phases of care outside the OR, and explores practical strategies for streamlining complex processes. Attendees will gain tools to assess, refine, and operationalize protocols within their own settings. This session may be of interest for clinicians and quality leaders seeking to improve care standardization and execution.

This session brings together bariatric QI experts for a laid-back conversation about current trends, challenges, and emerging strategies in the field. Speakers will share wins, challenges, and fresh ideas for boosting outcomes, no roller-coaster ride or statistics required. Bring questions and curiosity for this upbeat, engaging chat that will leave participants inspired to level-up their programs.

This expert-led group discussion focuses on emerging trends and recurring challenges related to standards. Participants will leave with clearer insight into evolving expectations and approaches to strengthening compliance and performance. This session is intended for professionals responsible for standards implementation and oversight.

The National Cancer Database (NCDB) is home to a library of reports and tools to support data-driven decision-making. This session examines how measures are constructed, interpreted, stored, and leveraged to impact cancer care delivery.

Surgical team members are increasingly seeking new ways to regain control of their professional lives while maintaining high-quality patient care. This session examines how locum tenens models, telepresence-enabled coverage, and AI-driven decision support may relieve workforce strain and enhance autonomy. Speakers will highlight use cases across practice settings, barriers to adoption, and implications for quality and safety. Special emphasis also will be on the current sentiment from many team members that healthcare is now a job, rather than a calling. The session will explore this emotion and its evolution further in the hopes to reignite the passion that we all (should) feel and the gratification that hopefully comes with what we do every day. The discussion also will help attendees consider how these tools can support long-term career satisfaction and organizational resilience.

This session will provide quality improvement professionals with a practical understanding of how adhesions present within data, documentation, and performance indicators. Experts will review how adhesions impact the quality of care, metrics that may signal adhesion-related issues, and what to do as a QI professional. Participants will gain insight into how to identify patterns, assess risk factors, and collaborate with surgical teams to integrate prevention and mitigation strategies into QI initiatives.

This interactive session demonstrates how to turn ACS Emergency General Surgery (EGS) NSQIP data into a powerful tool for improving care and efficiency. Speakers will review smart sampling strategies to focus on high-impact diagnoses, demonstrate how to interpret the EGS Summary Report for timely insights, and provide guidance on using the Site Assessment Report (SAR) to drive meaningful improvement. Attendees of all skill levels will leave with practical tools and increased confidence in applying data.

This Rapid Insights breakout session examines how comprehensive breast cancer care depends on coordinated collaboration across surgical, oncologic, and reconstructive specialties. Faculty will highlight how the Cancer Accreditation Program and ACS Quality Programs support all teams in delivering patient-centered, outcomes-driven care. New data comparing breast reconstruction outcomes at accredited versus non-accredited sites will be presented, demonstrating how adherence to established cancer standards and quality infrastructure is associated with improved perioperative outcomes. Framed through the patient journey, from diagnosis and shared decision-making through treatment and reconstruction, the session will illustrate how multidisciplinary coordination and accreditation standards translate into measurable improvements in clinical outcomes and overall care quality, including insights from a patient speaker who will share firsthand experiences and bring a quality improvement perspective to the discussion.

This discussion-based session brings together Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP) Site Reviewer Surgeons and Bariatric Data Abstractors (MBSCRs) for expert-led discussion. Participants will reflect on successes, address challenges, and examine the real-world impact of quality improvement initiatives. Through guided discussion, attendees will share strategies, compare experiences, and identify opportunities to enhance outcomes. This session is designed to foster continuous learning and strengthen quality improvement efforts across bariatric programs.

This interactive session introduces the Quality in-Training Initiative (QITI) and demonstrates how residents can leverage ACS Quality Program data to meet Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements, strengthen patient safety efforts, and enhance clinical training. Through case discussions and practical examples, attendees will explore how QITI insights can support resident-led quality improvement (QI) projects and help overcome common implementation barriers. Surgeons and program directors will also gain practical strategies to integrate QITI into teaching, mentorship, and structured QI curricula—fostering a culture of continuous improvement within training programs. This session is designed for residents, program directors, surgeons, and others involved in resident education and quality improvement.

There are several key concepts in the care of geriatric emergency general surgery patients that can influence care and outcomes—some not as intuitive as others. This panel explores the impact of frailty, nutrition, delirium, mobility, and social determinants of health on outcomes in geriatric emergency general surgery patients. Attendees will gain practical insight into incorporating these concepts into clinical decision-making and care planning.

Preoperative optimization represents a high-value opportunity to improve surgical outcomes. In this session, speakers from leading institutions will present models for risk stratification, screening, and geriatric optimization that enhance patient outcomes while reducing delays and costs. Attendees will gain practical frameworks and implementation strategies to integrate optimization into surgical workflows. This session may be of interest for teams seeking to strengthen perioperative care for higher-risk patients.

This facilitated, executive-level discussion examines leadership and value-focused perspectives on quality and the use of artificial intelligence in the perioperative setting, including within quality programs. Attendees will explore governance, accountability, risk management, and the role of nurse leaders in ensuring safe, ethical, and effective AI adoption. Through select scenarios, participants will translate strategic principles into informed, organization-level decisions.

This small-group discussion provides attendees the opportunity to troubleshoot a current QI initiative or plan a future project. Attendees will receive real-time feedback from QI experts and peers while refining goals, methods, and implementation strategies. Participants will leave with clearer next steps and practical guidance to strengthen their QI projects.

This interactive question-and-answer session brings together Site Reviewers from the Commission on Cancer (CoC), National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC), and National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) to support site visit preparation. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions, clarify expectations, and address common challenges encountered during reviews. Participants will leave with practical guidance to strengthen readiness and confidence ahead of their next site visit.

Putting the patient and their goals first is an important pillar of patient-centered care. This session explores strategies for collecting and using patient-reported outcomes, along with practical prompts to strengthen meaningful communication with patients. Attendees will have the chance to share their thoughts and engage in interactive discussion with peers from across the country.