DELRAY BEACH, FL. - Delray Medical Center is 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 healthcare 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 & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its final decision on NCD 20.7, which pertains to coverage for carotid artery stenting. Although participation in a registry was not mandated for coverage, CMS does require centers to establish and maintain institutional and physician standards to support a carotid stent program—and registry participation remains the most appropriate approach to compliance. The SVS VQI is the premier 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 US 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.

“Participation in SVS VQI’s carotid clinical registries make it possible for Delray Medical Center to deliver excellent care and positive patient outcomes,” says Dr. Joseph Ricotta, National Medical Director of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Surgery for Tenet Healthcare. “We’re thrilled to be recognized as a Carotid Care Quality Champion that is contributing real-world data to help other facilities and patients across the country.”

“Delray Medial Center 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,” says the hospital’s CEO, Heather Havericak. “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
• 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,” says Jens Eldrup-Jorgensen, MD, 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.

In 2018, Delray Medical Center was the first hospital in South Florida to complete a Trans Carotid Artery Revascularization (TCAR), performed by Dr. Ricotta. Since then, the hospital has been designated a TCAR Center of Excellence every year by Silk Road Medical, the manufacturer of the TCAR. In 2020, Dr. Ricotta received the national TCAR Clinical Operator of Excellence distinction, also awarded by Silk Road Medical.  He has been named a Castle Connolly “America’s Top Doctor” 13 years in a row and earned a position on Newsweek’s “America’s Best Vascular Surgeons 2024” list.

To learn more, visit https://www.vqi.org.