Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion

CHERP Core Investigator, Dr. Daniel Hall, MD, MDiv, MHSc

Dr. Daniel Hall awarded the 2023 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award by The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum for his Surgical Pause initiative

Daniel E. Hall, MD, MDiv, MHSc, a VA surgeon and Core Investigator with the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP), has been awarded the 2023 John M. Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award by The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum (NQF) for his Surgical Pause initiative.

The Eisenberg Awards—presented annually—honor the late Dr. John M. Eisenberg, former administrator of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. These awards recognize major national, local, and individual achievements to improve patient safety and overall healthcare quality.

Surgical Pause assesses surgical frailty in Veterans using a 14-item Risk Analysis Index (RAI) and national computerized patient record system (CPRS) template. The screening procedure takes about 30 seconds and can reliably identify Veterans who are at high risk of post-operative complications, loss of independence, and mortality. Analysis of more than 50,000 patients has found a 4% reduction in 1-year mortality in patients determined to be surgically frail. Surgical Pause was awarded Gold Status by VA’s Diffusion of Excellence in 2019, and with support from VHA’s National Surgery Office, Geriatrics and Extended Care, and the Diffusion of Excellence, the initiative has been implemented at more than 50 medical centers across VA and the private sector.

You can read more about Surgical Pause and Dr. Hall’s work here:

HSR Investigator Receives Eisenberg Patient Safety and Quality Award

The Surgical Pause Practice is Saving Veterans’ Lives

Publications:

• Arya S, Varley P, Youk A, Borrebach J, Perez S, Massarweh N, Johanning J, and Hall D. Recalibration and external validation of the risk analysis index: A surgical frailty assessment tool. Annals of Surgery. December 2020;272(6):996-1005.
• George E, Hall D, Youk A, et al. Association between patient frailty and postoperative mortality across multiple noncardiac surgical specialties. JAMA Surgery. January 1, 2021;156(1):e205152.
• Hall D, Arya S, Schmid K, et al. Association of a frailty screening initiative with postoperative survival at 30, 180, and 365 days. JAMA Surgery. March 1, 2017;152(3):233-240.
• Hall D, Arya S, Schmid K, et al. Development and initial validation of the risk analysis index for measuring frailty in surgical populations. JAMA Surgery. 2017;152(2):175-182.
• Shinall M, Arya S, Youk A, Varley P, Shah R, Massarweh N, Shireman P, Johanning J, and Hall D for the OSS (Operative Stress Score) Study Group. Association of preoperative patient frailty and operative stress with postoperative mortality.JAMA Surgery. 2020;155(1):e194620