Evolution of the American College of Surgeons Children's Surgery Verification Program: Implications for optimizing multidisciplinary surgical care of the pediatric patient

Area of Science:

• Pediatric surgery quality improvement
• Surgical center verification programs

Background:

• The Children's Surgery Verification Program (CSV) was established in 2016.
• It is based on standards from the Task Force for Children's Surgery.
• The program aims to enhance pediatric surgical care through resource assurance and performance improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the development of the Children's Surgery Verification Program.
• To highlight the program's greatest areas of impact.
• To outline future directions for the program.

Main Methods:

• The program defines three levels of pediatric surgery centers.
• Each level has specific scopes of practice and matching resources.
• A specialty hospital program was introduced in 2019, and standards were revised in 2021.

Main Results:

• Over 50 centers have been verified since the program's inception.
• The program has established a framework for improving pediatric surgical care.
• Ongoing revisions ensure the program remains current and effective.

Conclusions:

• The Children's Surgery Verification Program is a key initiative for advancing pediatric surgical quality.
• The program's structured approach and continuous improvement are vital for verified centers.
• Future directions will likely focus on expanding verification and refining standards.