Better Data. Stronger Systems. Better Heart Care: The Power of VCSQI Collaboration
From measurable improvements in heart attack care to a new era of cardiovascular analytics, VCSQI and VHAC demonstrate how statewide collaboration is transforming quality, outcomes, and healthcare value.
October 22, 2026 | Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | Richmond, Virginia
What happens when cardiovascular professionals across Virginia come together—not simply to measure outcomes, but to improve them?
For nearly two decades, the Virginia Cardiac Services Quality Initiative (VCSQI) and its partners have demonstrated that meaningful improvements in cardiovascular care are driven by shared knowledge, clinical leadership, and a commitment to turning data into action.
That commitment was evident during the October 22, 2026, VCSQI Fall Quarterly Meeting, where cardiovascular clinicians, quality improvement professionals, and healthcare leaders gathered to examine statewide progress, identify persistent challenges, and explore innovative approaches to improving patient outcomes and healthcare value.
The meeting reinforced a defining principle of the collaborative: No single healthcare organization has all the answers, but together, organizations can accomplish what they cannot achieve alone.
Beyond the Numbers: Making Quality Improvement Meaningful
VCSQI Chairman Robert Lancey, MD, challenged healthcare professionals to move beyond simply identifying gaps in performance and focus on the work required to close them.
“The hard part is implementing it, and doing something about it.”— Robert Lancey, MD, VCSQI Chairman
His message underscored the importance of translating clinical evidence and performance data into measurable improvements at the bedside.
Dr. Lancey also challenged attendees to consider whether healthcare organizations
consistently deliver patient-centered care—not simply in their mission statements, but through their everyday practices, organizational priorities, and patient interactions.
The discussion reinforced that quality improvement extends beyond clinical outcomes to include communication, shared decision-making, respect for patient preferences, and the overall experience of receiving care.
VCSQI's 2026 strategic scorecard reflected continued progress in its organizational priorities, with advancement reported in quality, engagement, data analytics, and value. The results provided both a measure of progress and a framework for addressing opportunities ahead.
Eighteen Years of Collaboration: A Measurable Impact on Heart Attack Care
The Virginia Heart Attack Coalition (VHAC), a VCSQI partner, provided a compelling example of what sustained statewide collaboration can accomplish.
Peter O'Brien, MD, VHAC co-founder and chair, highlighted 18 years of coordinated efforts to improve systems of care for patients experiencing acute myocardial infarction.
STATEWIDE SYSTEMS-OF-CARE PROGRESS
60% → 99%
Increase in Virginia ambulances equipped with prehospital 12-lead ECG capability during VHAC's initiative
95 → ~70 min
Reported improvement in statewide first medical contact-to-device time
Figures reported during the October 22 VHAC presentation.
These achievements reflect years of cooperation among EMS agencies, emergency departments, cardiac catheterization laboratories, physicians, nurses, and healthcare systems working toward common treatment goals.
Beyond these milestones, VHAC has established a statewide STEMI registry, expanded participation among PCI-capable hospitals, and developed multidisciplinary clinical workgroups addressing cardiogenic shock, direct-to-catheterization pathways, thrombolytics, pulmonary embolism response, and EMS education.
Despite this progress, Dr. O'Brien emphasized that improving timely access to care remains an ongoing responsibility, particularly in communities where treatment delays and differences in resources persist.
“We will not stop until every patient in Virginia has access to optimal MI care.”— Peter O'Brien, MD, VHAC Co-Founder and Chair
The coalition's continued focus on regional engagement, standardized clinical pathways, and data-driven performance improvement demonstrates the value of sustained cooperation across organizations and geographic boundaries.
Strengthening ECMO Care Through Statewide Collaboration
Ahead of the Fall Quarterly Meeting, VCSQI convened its ECMO Workgroup on October 22, bringing together multidisciplinary cardiovascular professionals to share clinical experiences, address operational challenges, and identify opportunities to strengthen extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) care across Virginia.
Presentations from UVA Health and VCU Health highlighted ECMO program operations, clinical case reviews, Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) data, and equipment supply challenges. A key outcome was an initiative to establish a cross-institutional ECMO supply inventory, creating opportunities for participating hospitals to share resources and support one another when equipment needs arise.
Led by physician champions Jared Beller, MD (UVA), and Patricia Nicolato, DO (VCU), the workgroup reflects VCSQI's commitment to connecting clinical expertise, addressing shared challenges, and translating collaboration into practical solutions that strengthen complex cardiovascular care.
The initiative illustrates the value of VCSQI collaboration: bringing institutions together not only to exchange knowledge, but to develop solutions that benefit the broader cardiovascular community.
VCSQI extends its appreciation to Getinge for sponsoring the ECMO Workgroup meeting and supporting statewide collaboration.
Turning Data into Action—and Demonstrating Value
A major focus of the meeting was the future of VCSQI's data and analytics capabilities, underscoring an important opportunity for participating cardiovascular programs.
Andre Tolleris, Director of Data Analytics at the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA), examined how statewide patient-level data can support clinical benchmarking, utilization analysis, and evaluation of healthcare outcomes.
His presentation highlighted 10-year cardiovascular readmission trends, including a reduction in observed 30-day readmissions following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) from 11.78% to 8.41%.
The meeting also introduced VCSQI's new analytics partnership with Biome Analytics, designed to strengthen the collaborative's ability to translate clinical performance and financial data into actionable improvement opportunities.
Biome CEO Stuart Jacobson emphasized the importance of connecting improved clinical outcomes with demonstrable financial value.
“The rubber hits the road when you can show to your organization that you have not only improved quality, but you've also saved them money.”— Stuart Jacobson, CEO, Biome Analytics
Amber Pawlikowski, RN, MSN, CPHQ, Chief Transformation Officer at Biome Analytics, outlined how the platform will support clinical benchmarking, variation analysis, and estimates of potential financial benefits associated with reducing complications and improving resource utilization.
The evolving capabilities will bring together information from major cardiovascular registries, including STS Adult Cardiac Surgery, NCDR CathPCI, Chest Pain–MI, and STS/ACC TVT.
For participating organizations, this represents an opportunity to move beyond traditional reporting toward a more comprehensive approach to performance improvement—one that helps identify where improvement is needed, prioritize interventions, evaluate their impact, and communicate value to clinical and administrative leadership.
Equally important, the initiative maintains VCSQI's collaborative approach to data sharing, allowing organizations to evaluate their performance against anonymized peers while contributing to broader statewide learning and research.
The Value of Working Together
Throughout the meeting, one message connected the discussions on patient-centered care, emergency cardiovascular systems, and advanced analytics: sustainable improvement depends on collective action.
VCSQI provides a forum for cardiovascular professionals to learn from one another, compare performance, exchange successful practices, and participate in initiatives designed to improve care across Virginia.
Through clinical workgroups, educational programs, registry-based benchmarking, research opportunities, and partnerships with organizations such as VHAC, members contribute to a statewide effort that extends beyond the walls of any individual institution.
As the collaborative prepares for 2027, priorities include strengthening member engagement, expanding data capabilities, supporting protocol implementation, and demonstrating the measurable clinical and economic value of cardiovascular quality improvement.
These efforts reflect a continued commitment not only to measuring performance, but to helping healthcare teams improve it.
The Next Advancement in Cardiovascular Care Begins with Collaboration
The VCSQI Fall Quarterly Meeting demonstrated what becomes possible when healthcare professionals and organizations unite around a shared purpose.
Improved treatment times, strengthened clinical systems, and new data capabilities represent important progress. Yet the greater achievement lies in building an enduring network of professionals committed to improving how cardiovascular care is delivered.
For hospitals and cardiovascular programs seeking to strengthen quality, improve patient outcomes, and demonstrate healthcare value, VCSQI offers an opportunity to participate in a collaborative where shared learning helps drive meaningful change.
Because behind every performance measure is a patient. Behind every improvement is a team. And behind lasting change is a commitment to working together.
Be Part of What's Next
VCSQI welcomes cardiovascular programs and healthcare organizations committed to advancing quality through collaboration, innovation, and data-driven improvement.
Join VCSQI and help strengthen cardiovascular care across Virginia. Connect with healthcare professionals, share your expertise, and be part of statewide efforts to improve patient outcomes.
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