Vascular Surgery Division Earns National 3-Star Quality Award for Ninth Consecutive Year
University of Utah Health’s Division of Vascular Surgery has once again been recognized among the nation's top vascular programs, earning the highest possible three-star rating from the Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) for the ninth consecutive year.
The achievement places the division in rare company. More than 1,000 hospitals and health systems worldwide participate in VQI, one of the nation's leading vascular surgery quality improvement registries. Fewer than 100 centers earned a three-star rating this year, and fewer than 10 have maintained the distinction for nine straight years.
"This recognition reflects years of dedication from our surgeons, nurses, research teams, advanced practice providers, and staff who are committed to delivering exceptional patient care and continuously improving outcomes," said Benjamin S. Brooke, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery. "We are incredibly proud of this milestone and grateful to everyone whose work makes it possible."
The VQI three-star award recognizes excellence in patient follow-up, surgeon engagement in regional and national quality initiatives, participation in quality improvement projects, and comprehensive involvement in VQI data registries. The designation reflects a sustained commitment to measuring outcomes, advancing best practices, and improving care for patients with vascular disease.
The honor comes during a week of national recognition for the division at the 2026 Vascular Annual Meeting, where University of Utah Health faculty and staff shared research and quality improvement initiatives with colleagues from across the country.
Presenters included:
- Julie Hales, MSN, RN, CCRC, who presented Leveling Up for Aortic Complexity: Strengthening Oversight to Maintain High Data Integrity in the VQI TEVAR/Complex EVAR Registry During a Period of Rapid Growth as both a poster and podium presentation.
- Benjamin S. Brooke, MD, PhD, FACS, DFSVS, who delivered a podium presentation on Optimizing Hemodialysis Access in Patients with Obesity.
- M. Libby Weaver, MD, MHPE, FACS, RPVI, who presented Cost-effectiveness of the Percutaneous Management of Acute Limb Ischemia during a podium session.
- Ting Sun, PhD, Christopher Audu, MD, PhD, Benjamin Brooke, MD, PhD, M. Libby Weaver, MD, MHPE, Erin Buchanan, MD, and Brigitte Smith, MD, MHPE, who had a research plenary talk entitled Entrustment Differences between Carotid Revascularization Techniques among a National, Multi-Institutional Cohort of Graduating Vascular Surgery Trainees'
Congratulations to the entire vascular surgery team for this remarkable achievement and for continuing to set the standard for high-quality vascular care in Utah and across the nation.