North York General Surgery Program Ranks Among Best in International Quality Initiative from American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) has recognized the surgery program at North York General Hospital (NYG) as among the best out of those participating in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) for delivering top quality care in adult surgery.  

NYG is among a small group of hospitals worldwide achieving “meritorious outcomes” for the overall safety and quality of surgical categories as assessed by the program that aims to reduce surgical complications and improve the overall quality of surgical care. 

Out of the 609 participating hospitals that met the requirements for meritorious consideration, NYG ranked in the top 10 per cent by achieving meritorious outcomes for all categories including higher risk cases that were measured for surgical patient care in 2024. NYG is one of only four Canadian hospitals to have received this distinction for two or more continuous years.   

“North York General is honoured to once again achieve this prestigious award that recognizes our hospital as a place to receive world-class surgical care,” says Dr. Everton Gooden, President & CEO of North York General Hospital. “Rooted in deep commitment to safety and quality, our expert surgery team has spent over 50 years building a legacy of specialized excellence that is delivering the highest care standards on par with world-leading health systems.”  

Performing over 38,000 surgical and endoscopic procedures each year, NYG’s surgical program applies the latest research and evidence-based practices to innovate and deliver exceptional care. Highlights include: 

• Leading Ontario hospitals in wait times for cancer surgeries by exceeding all provincial targets.  

• Becoming the first hospital in Canada to use transperineal biopsy to more effectively test for prostate cancer.  

• Becoming one of the first hospitals in Ontario to use the robotic ROSA knee system to allow for more accurate knee replacement. 

• Dedicated nurse navigators to help colon cancer and hip and knee surgery patients smoothly navigate every aspect of their care journeys. 

• Developing a nationally recognized model of care for anesthesia that is providing NYG surgical patients with cutting edge nerve blocking techniques shown to be highly effective in ensuring procedures remain pain free and support strong and healthy recoveries. 

• Providing leading expertise in minimally invasive and robotic surgical procedures that provide the best possible outcomes with the quickest recovery. 

“Being recognized with the top rating in the ACS NSQIP demonstrates NYG’s relentless commitment to quality and self-improvement,” says Mary Chen, Director of the Surgery Program.  “When patients come to NYG for surgical care they can take comfort in knowing our team is entirely focused on delivering the highest standards and best outcomes for each person.”  

As a participant in the ACS NSQIP, NYG tracks the rate of post-surgical complications such as morbidity, incision infections and pneumonia. Hospitals use this data to continuously improve patient safety and surgical care and are ranked through the NSQIP based on composite scores for each measure.  

“Our entire surgical team should be proud of this achievement and their steadfast dedication to delivering high-quality care,” says Dr. Peter Stotland, Chief of Surgery and Co-Medical Director of Surgery at North York General. “Recognition from ACS NSQIP follows a rigorous evaluation of our surgical program and affirms that our hospital not only meets—but exceeds—internationally recognized standards for quality and safety.” 

More information about the ACS NSQIP methodology and process can be found here.

North York General  

North York General is one of Canada’s leading community academic hospitals with a vision to deliver World-Class Care, 24/7. Affiliated with the University of Toronto, our multi-site campus supports our diverse community through every stage and life-defining moment by providing a wide range of acute care, ambulatory and long-term care services. 
  
North York General is a member of the North York Toronto Health Partners, an Ontario Health Team that integrates local care with patients, primary care and community partners. 

About the American College of Surgeons 

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The ACS is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The ACS has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. “FACS” designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the ACS.