Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery Recognition Latest Demonstration of Commitment to Positive Patient Outcomes
Mega Doctor News
Brownsville – Valley Baptist Medical Center–Brownsville has earned a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery (COERS) designation from Surgical Review Corporation, a distinction that continues to demonstrate the hospital’s commitment to positive patient outcomes and patient safety.
The COERS program is designed to recognize both facilities and surgeons that are performing robotic procedures while achieving defined standards for patient safety and quality care. The COERS program is endorsed by the Clinical Robotic Surgery Association to support its mission of advancing robotic surgical techniques.
Valley Baptist-Brownsville CEO Leslie Bingham said the Center of Excellence designation is tangible evidence of the commitment to meeting the highest patient safety standards.
“Earning the center of excellence designation signifies our ability to consistently deliver safe, excellent care to patients who undergo robotic surgery procedures at Valley Baptist-Brownsville,” Bingham said. “The COERS program fosters quality improvement in robotic surgery, and participation has focused our team on exceeding clinical benchmarks and guidelines. Most importantly, our commitment to excellence improves the health and well-being of our patients.”
Dr. Jose Nieves, who serves as the Medical Director of Robotic Surgery and Minimally Invasive Gynecology at Valley Baptist-Brownsville and who also earned a COERS designation, said the designation is a demonstration of the commitment and ability to consistently deliver safe, effective, evidence-based care. The program is structured to help surgeons who perform robotic surgery procedures continuously improve care quality and patient safety.
“Being recognized by a certified authority as being a Center of Excellence is so important,” he said. “It communicates to our patients that there is a high level of care being provided at this facility, and by this program and surgeon. With this designation, our patients can know that we are providing a level of care that makes patient safety and quality care the highest priorities.”
To be certified as a Center of Excellence by SRC, both VBMC-Brownsville and Dr. Nieves had to meet a set of strict guidelines and requirements related to patient safety and quality care, said Robin Jones, RN, Director of Quality Management. For healthcare facilities seeking the Center of Excellence designation, such requirements include the performing of at least 100 robotic surgery procedures annually. Applying surgeons must have performed at least 125 robotic surgery procedures in their lifetime, including at least 30 robotic surgery procedures annually.
According to information provided by SRC, in addition to a performing a prerequisite number of procedures, healthcare facilities seeking the Center of Excellence designation must employ nurses who provide education and care to robotic surgery patients in addition to an operative team specially trained to care for those patients.
“This is an outside organization defining the international standards that we have to meet in order to achieve this certification,” Jones said. “Internally we are constantly evaluating our programs and making sure we are successful, but the COERS designation from SRC validates and verifies that we are meeting very high standards when it comes to patient safety.”
In addition to being certified as a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery, Valley Baptist-Brownsville and Dr. Nieves are also certified as a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology. MDN
