AAAHC Recognizes American Spine Registry for Advanced Orthopaedic Certification

Newsroom

AAAHC Recognizes American Spine Registry for Advanced Orthopaedic Certification

Recognition supports outcomes measurement as complex spine procedures move to ambulatory surgery centers

(Deerfield and Rosemont, IL) Nov. 10, 2026-The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) recognizes the American Spine Registry (ASR) as a nationally recognized specialty registry for ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) seeking AAAHC Advanced Orthopaedic Certification in complex spine care. ASR is a partnership between the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

As more spine procedures are performed in ASCs, consistent measurement of patient outcomes across ambulatory settings is increasingly important. National benchmarking gives surgeons and facilities meaningful data to assess performance, guide quality improvement, and demonstrate their commitment to safe, effective care.

"Outcomes data should follow the patient, regardless of facility setting," said Mohamad Bydon, MD, FAANS, FACS, ASR co-chair. "Whether a procedure is performed in a hospital or ASC, surgeons need consistent, reliable measurement to understand what works and keep improving. This recognition from AAAHC is an important step toward this goal."

"No single facility can see the full picture of spine care through its own outcomes alone," said Mladen Djurasovic, MD, FAAOS, ASR co-chair. "By bringing data from facilities across the country together, ASR gives surgeons and ASCs meaningful benchmarks to understand their performance, identify opportunities for improvement and ultimately strengthen patient care. AAAHC's recognition will help extend the value of that shared learning as more spine procedures move to ambulatory settings."

AAAHC-accredited ASCs may pursue Advanced Orthopaedic Certification in total joint care, complex spine care, or both.

"Recognizing ASR gives ASCs pursuing Advanced Orthopaedic Certification a resource for measuring outcomes and comparing performance against national data," said Noel Adachi, MBA, president and CEO of AAAHC. "Meaningful clinical data can support informed decision-making and ongoing quality improvement as complex spine care expands in ambulatory settings."

Learn more about the certification program and download the performance measures collected and submitted to ASR and other nationally recognized specialty registries at www.aaahc.org/AmericanSpineRegistryRecognition.

###

About Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC)

AAAHC is the nation's leading accreditor of ambulatory health care organizations, partnering with more than 6,800 organizations to advance patient safety, improve quality, and strengthen organizational performance across the continuum of outpatient care.

Since 1979, AAAHC has championed excellence in ambulatory health care through nationally recognized Standards, a peer-based survey process, accreditation and certification programs, education, and practical quality improvement resources. Guided by its 1095 Strong philosophy, AAAHC believes accreditation should strengthen organizations every day-not just at the time of survey-helping them achieve continuous readiness, improve outcomes, and build a lasting culture of quality throughout the 1,095-day accreditation cycle.

Designed exclusively for ambulatory health care, AAAHC accredits a broad range of settings, including ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery facilities, endoscopy centers, medical and dental practices, community health centers, behavioral health organizations, student health centers, employer and worksite health centers, government health facilities, and health plans. AAAHC accreditation is recognized by federal and state agencies, third-party payors, professional associations, and the public as a trusted symbol of an organization's commitment to safe, high-quality care.

Learn more at www.aaahc.org.

About the American Spine Registry^® (ASR)
The American Spine Registry (ASR) is an unprecedented partnership between the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) on a national quality improvement registry for spine care. Both organizations have joint ownership and leadership representation in this effort. The ASR facilitates the participation of all US-based spine surgeons in a shared, quality data-collection platform. For more information, please visit www.AmericanSpineRegistry.org.