Dionisios Vrochides Elected President of ERAS® International Society
CHARLOTTE, N.C., November 14, 2018 – Dionisios Vrochides, MD, PhD, FACS, FRCSC and Vice Chair, Quality of Outcomes at Atrium Health's Carolinas Medical Center, has been inducted as president of the United States chapter of the ERAS (Enhanced Recovery after Surgery) International Society for the 2018 to 2020 term. Prior to his new role, he served as vice president, president-elect and chair of Quality Measurement and Improvement.
"I am honored to be at the helm of the society as we grow and influence recovery after surgery through education, analytics and outcomes in the United States," says Vrochides, "Giving healthcare professionals, patients and families the tools they need to heal will continue to improve care across organizations."
Vrochides will oversee the expansion program of ERAS that includes both ERAS qualified centers and ERAS centers of excellence. He will also be responsible for optimizing the collaboration with ERAS International Society, comprised of nearly 200 ERAS centers around the world, and will lead efforts to optimize analytics as related to compliance and outcomes.
Vrochides drove efforts at Atrium Health's Carolinas Medical Center to implement ERAS protocols within the Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary service, which led to the hospital becoming the first ERAS Society-accredited center of excellence in the United States in 2016. Teams currently use ERAS pathways in major surgical disciplines including colorectal, hepatobiliary & pancreatic, head & neck and urologic surgery, among others. Internationally, Carolinas Medical Center is one of only 23 ERAS centers of excellence in the world.
"By leading a patient-centered, evidence-based approach to surgical recovery, Vrochides has shown his commitment to high-quality care," Atrium Health's Surgeon-in-Chief Brent Matthews, MD said. "This work has directly improved patients' recovery rates, and we look forward to expanding ERAS into additional specialty areas."
Vrochides and his team have trained numerous health care institutions in successful ERAS implementations. Because of the team's commitment to patient education and use of data through ERAS protocols, patients' length of stay has decreased by at least two days for hepatic and pancreatic procedures, while 30-day readmission rates have decreased by 12 percent.
"We are developing new methods to analyze patients' risks for certain complications, helping to improve their pain management, save money and eliminate unnecessary lab tests," says Vrochides, "With ERAS, the care model places the patient in the center and, as a result, improves the quality of care and reduces care variation. Through extensive education, patients understand their recovery benchmarks and expectations ahead of time."
Clinically, Vrochides' focuses include surgical resection of all liver, pancreas and biliary malignancies including transplantation-assisted complex vascular resections and robotic hepatectomy and pancreatectomy. His academic concentrations involve both translational and clinical research using predictive analytics and situation awareness strategies to analyze and modify risk to improve outcomes. He also serves as a mentor within the surgical residency program at Carolinas Medical Center.
About Atrium Health
Atrium Health, previously Carolinas HealthCare System, one of the nation's leading and most innovative healthcare organizations, provides a full spectrum of healthcare and wellness programs throughout the Southeast region. Its diverse network of care locations includes academic medical centers, hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, physician practices, surgical and rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, nursing homes and behavioral health centers, as well as hospice and palliative care services. Atrium Health works to enhance the overall health and well-being of its communities through high-quality patient care, education and research programs, and numerous collaborative partnerships and initiatives.