The ACS Vascular Verification Program is the American College of Surgeons' verification of hospital programs that provide inpatient vascular surgical and interventional care, run with the Society for Vascular Surgery against the standards Optimal Resources for Vascular Surgery and Interventional Care. It is for vascular program administrators and the surgical and interventional leaders who share the program. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) documents your vascular program's governance and quality review for verification; your surgeons own the clinical content.
Last reviewed: October 2026.
What is the ACS Vascular Verification Program?
ACS describes it as "A national quality verification program focused on the care and treatment of patients receiving vascular surgical and interventional care in an inpatient setting." The Society for Vascular Surgery is the partner organization, and the program page names two levels of participation (ACS Vascular Verification Program).
The governing text is Optimal Resources for Vascular Surgery and Interventional Care. ACS states that it "offers structure and guidance for hospitals providing inpatient vascular care" (ACS vascular standards page). The edition year and effective date were not shown on the pages we reviewed; the standards download routes through the ACS standards manuals page. IHS works from the edition your organization obtains from ACS.
The vascular program is one of several ACS accreditation and verification programs listed on the ACS index page (ACS Accreditation and Verification).
Who needs it and what triggers it
Hospitals that provide inpatient vascular surgical and interventional care and want external verification of that program. Preparation usually starts with an initial ACS program review, the launch of a new vascular service line, or renewal.
The ACS process sets the timing. Before applying, sites should "contact the ACS Vascular-VP team to discuss the program" (ACS vascular process). ACS adds: "For all levels, it is recommended to apply 6–12 months prior to the anticipated site visit" (ACS vascular process). Every level requires a Pre-Review Questionnaire: "All levels are required to complete and submit a Pre-Review Questionnaire (PRQ) addressing content and questions associated with the standards at the level selected" (ACS vascular process).
How IHS helps
- Gap assessment. IHS compares your program to the Optimal Resources for Vascular Surgery and Interventional Care standards your organization obtains from ACS. Questionnaires go to the owners of governance, team responsibilities and quality review.
- Document and evidence mapping. IHS builds a crosswalk from each standard to the evidence held by each participating service.
- Drafting. IHS drafts governance documents, responsibility maps and quality-review procedures that feed the PRQ, for your vascular program leaders to approve.
- Mock review. IHS reviews the evidence the way a reviewer would, including chart-review readiness.
- Readiness support. IHS turns mock review results into a remediation list with owners and drafts responses to findings for your organization to submit.
What your organization supplies: the standards manual, program data, committee records and your vascular surgeons' decisions.
The limit: clinical protocols and outcomes stay with your surgeons. Your organization talks with ACS, applies and submits the PRQ. IHS drafts; your organization submits.
Related IHS pages: Accreditation Consulting and ACS Quality Verification Program readiness.
What to have ready
These items shorten the gap assessment. Each ties to the Optimal Resources for Vascular Surgery and Interventional Care standards (edition as obtained from ACS) or to the ACS vascular process pages.
- Your copy of Optimal Resources for Vascular Surgery and Interventional Care (ACS vascular standards page).
- The level you intend to seek, since the PRQ addresses "the standards at the level selected" (ACS vascular process).
- A target site-visit date and an application date 6 to 12 months ahead of it (ACS vascular process).
- A named PRQ owner, since "All levels are required to complete and submit a Pre-Review Questionnaire (PRQ)" (ACS vascular process).
- A list of the services that deliver inpatient vascular surgical and interventional care in your hospital, with the leader of each (ACS Vascular Verification Program).
- Current committee records and governance documents for the vascular program, to crosswalk against the standards (ACS vascular standards page).
- Patient charts with their quality review documentation, since these "will also need to be prepared for the reviewers" (ACS vascular process).
- Your registry status. ACS states that "Sites are encouraged to capture their vascular cases within a nationally benchmarked and risk-adjusted clinical registry" (ACS vascular data registry).
- Calendar holds for leaders during the site visit, since "All levels include a site visit comprised of 2 half-day sessions" (ACS vascular process).
To walk through the list with IHS, book the introductory call below.
How it compares
| Route | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| SVS Vascular Quality Initiative (VQI) registry participation without verification | ACS names VQI as a registry option and encourages registry participation (ACS vascular data registry). Registry participation alone is not verification. |
| ACS NSQIP Vascular Module | The other registry option ACS names for capturing vascular cases (ACS vascular data registry). |
| ACS Quality Verification Program | A separate ACS program listed on the ACS index page (ACS Accreditation and Verification). See the IHS page on the Quality Verification Program. |
What it costs
ACS does not publish a fee schedule on the pages we reviewed. IHS prices its own work after a free introductory call.
What this is not
- This page is not legal or clinical advice, and IHS does not write or judge clinical protocols or outcomes.
- Readiness work does not guarantee an ACS verification outcome.
- IHS does not contact ACS, apply or submit the PRQ for you. IHS drafts; your organization submits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ACS Vascular Verification Program?
ACS describes it as a national quality verification program focused on the care and treatment of patients receiving vascular surgical and interventional care in an inpatient setting. The Society for Vascular Surgery is the partner organization. The governing standards are Optimal Resources for Vascular Surgery and Interventional Care.
What are the two levels of vascular verification, and how do they differ?
The ACS program page names two levels of participation, and the PRQ addresses the standards at the level selected. The level-specific requirements are in the standards manual, which was not shown on the pages we reviewed. IHS works from the manual your organization obtains.
Does the Vascular Verification Program cover endovascular and interventional care, or only open surgery?
ACS describes the program as covering patients receiving vascular surgical and interventional care in an inpatient setting. The standards title, Optimal Resources for Vascular Surgery and Interventional Care, names both. The manual sets out which services and procedures fall within the program.
Do we need SVS VQI or ACS NSQIP Vascular to be verified?
ACS states that sites are encouraged to capture their vascular cases within a nationally benchmarked and risk-adjusted clinical registry, and names the ACS NSQIP Vascular Module and the SVS Vascular Quality Initiative as options. The pages we reviewed describe registry participation as encouraged and do not state that it is required.
How far ahead should a hospital apply before the vascular site visit?
ACS recommends applying 6 to 12 months before the anticipated site visit, for all levels. ACS also asks sites to contact its Vascular-VP team to discuss the program before applying. Your organization makes that contact and files the application.
What happens during the vascular verification site visit and chart review?
ACS states that all levels include a site visit made up of two half-day sessions. Patient charts with their quality review documentation need to be prepared for the reviewers. IHS includes chart-review readiness in its mock review.
How much does ACS vascular verification cost?
ACS does not publish a fee schedule on the pages we reviewed. IHS prices its own work after a free introductory call.
How long does vascular verification last?
The ACS vascular pages we reviewed do not state the verification term. The standards manual sets it, and your team can confirm it with the ACS Vascular-VP team when it discusses the program before applying.