Casting a surgical safety net to reduce readmissions

Post-operative surgical readmissions have a profoundly negative impact on the lives of Veterans. At Pittsburgh VA, one team decided to take on this challenge.

The Interdisciplinary Medical Preoperative Assessment Consultation and Treatment Clinic (IMPACT) team investigated the high readmission rates they were observing. The team made a significant discovery: Most post-surgery readmissions could have been avoidable if a safety net had been in place.

Surgical Safety Net reduces readmissions, improves Veterans’ experiences and saves costs by identifying patients at risk for readmission and connecting them to underutilized resources. With excellent results at Pittsburgh VA, the team turned to Diffusion of Excellence in hopes of sharing the practice across VA to impact more Veterans.

Making an IMPACT  

Launched in 2011, the IMPACT team, led by Dr. Visala Muluk, promotes a safe surgical journey. The team provides Veterans with coordinated virtual evaluations, education and a voice in their recovery. After two years, the team’s hard work paid off: Pittsburgh VA readmission rates decreased by 25% and patients reported high satisfaction, trust and improved experience.

The IMPACT team reduced Veterans’ mortality and complication rates and created a foundation to sustain a solution for readmission rates.

Casting the net benefits

Hoping to spark similar results across VA, Muluk applied to Diffusion’s 2022 VHA Shark Tank Competition. “I applied for Shark Tank because we felt Surgical Safety Net yielded promising results at Pittsburgh VA,” she said.

Surgical Safety Net won the competition and Muluk chose to replicate her Promising Practice at Central Arkansas VA. Central Arkansas was one of several bids placed by VA Medical Center directors.

Ready, set, replicate

“Shark Tank gave our team an opportunity to look at our process in a very positive perspective. Looking at our results and actual numbers gave us the confidence that this is a best practice. The competition gave me exposure across VA, and a lot of visibility among all stakeholders across the nation,” she added.

With the support of their Diffusion Specialist Danielle Hagan, the team is spreading their practice across VA. The team is engaging national leads, VA program offices and VA innovators, especially those focused on improving surgical outcomes for our nation’s Veterans.

Surgical Pause Symposium

From June 21-22, the VA National Surgery Office and Diffusion will host the Surgical Pause Symposium at the National Simulation Center in Orlando, Florida.

Surgical Pause is a Diffusion National Practice developed by Dr. Daniel Hall and colleagues that provides a highly effective tool to screen Veterans for frailty prior to surgery. The symposium will feature talks from speakers like Muluk on implementing surgical best practices, sessions on developing frailty programs and a VA Surgical Innovation Show and Tell.

These discussions address the VA Under Secretary for Health’s strategic priorities of supporting Veterans’ whole health and accelerating VA’s journey to a High Reliability Organization.

“People are excited to network with VA colleagues and learn about this practice they’ve seen featured on national and network calls,” said Hagan. “Our team has worked incredibly hard over the past three years and we are thrilled to share our successes and a sneak peek of what’s to come.”