Clinical Quality Excellence

Clinical Quality Excellence measures the volume of minimally invasive hysterectomies in a calendar year (January – December) by Hoag’s Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery (COERS) surgeons.

There are several healthcare articles that highlight the relationship between volume and quality in hospital settings – specifically higher volumes leading to improved quality2. As with most tasks, the more often you do it, the better you become. The same is true for minimally invasive surgery. Our COERS surgeons perform surgery regularly and are expertly trained to perform simple and complex minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries.

Hoag is the highest volume provider of gynecologic robotic-assisted surgery in California3 and has the first multi-disciplinary program of its kind in Southern California. Our COERS team consists of board-certified specialists all working together to provide streamlined access to the finest gynecological care in Orange County. The team includes:

• Gynecologists who treat benign (non-cancerous) conditions
• Gynecologic oncologists who treat malignant (cancerous) conditions
• Urogynecologists who treat conditions related to pelvic floor disorders (pelvic organ prolapse and urinary/fecal incontinence)

The high volume of procedures performed by this COERS team validates their extensive training and ability to perform the safest, highest quality surgeries. The graph below illustrates the total volume of minimally invasive hysterectomies at Hoag over an eight year period. Volumes have steadily increased with the addition of new robots and specialized surgeons so we can meet the community’s growing needs.

*Volume data tracked by Performance Improvement using Midas Software

References:

2 Bach PB, Annals of Internal Medicine, 2009; vol. 150, no. 10: pages 729 – 30

3 Intuitive Surgical, Inc – da Vinci Surgical System

4 Midas software, data tracked by Hoag Performance Improvement Department