Tampa General spine program first in world to receive accreditation

Tampa General Hospital’s Neuro Spine Program has earned a Center of Excellence designation from the Surgical Review Corp., becoming the first program in the world to receive the organization’s accreditation in that field, the hospital says. 

TGH announced the new accreditation Tuesday alongside individual distinctions for four surgeons. Dr. Puya Alikhani earned SRC’s Master Surgeon designation in Neuro Spine Surgery — another worldwide first, according to TGH. Drs. Patrick Kim, Erik Hayman and Alexander Haas were named Surgeons of Excellence.

The SRC is an independent, nonprofit patient safety organization formed in 2003 that develops and administers global accreditation programs for hospitals, outpatient facilities and medical professionals, according to its website. 

The accreditation process includes an on-site assessment and a review of surgical case volume, facility resources, clinical protocols, patient education and ongoing quality improvement, the announcement says. The hospital says the assessment also provided recommendations for improving care.

The TGH program works with USF Health spine surgeons to treat conditions ranging from degenerative neck and lower-back disorders to spinal deformities, tumors and infections. Its services include surgical and nonsurgical treatment for scoliosis. 

“This designation provides patients and families with added confidence that they are choosing a spine program that meets the highest standards of quality, safety and outcomes,” Luke Straus, vice president of the TGH Neurosciences and Orthopedic Institutes, says in the release.

Tampa General is a nonprofit academic health system with 1,530 beds across its network, according to the release.