American College of Surgeons Names JHAH As a Top Hospital for Surgical Care
November 16, 2025
An ACS surgical quality program designated JHAH as a Meritorious Hospital, meaning patients are assured of first-class surgical care and safety.
Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare (JHAH) has been named as one of the top surgical care providers in the Middle East in a ranking by the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
JHAH was designated as a Meritorious Hospital in both clinical categories assessed by the ACS National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP), which measures outcomes from inpatient and outpatient procedures from more than 600 hospitals globally.
The designation means that JHAH is the only hospital in Saudi Arabia — and one of just three hospitals in the Middle East — to be awarded Meritorious Hospital status by the ACS NSQIP in both clinical categories. One category considers performance across all surgical cases, and the other, in high-risk cases specifically.
Dr. Clifford Y. Ko, Senior Vice President of the ACS Division of Research and Optimal Patient Care, said the ACS program was “particularly proud” of organizations with a Meritorious Hospital designation for “going above and beyond by achieving optimal patient outcomes in a measurable, verifiable way.”
Earlier this year, JHAH’s adult heart surgery program was awarded elite status by the US Society of Thoracic Surgeons and ranked in the top 5% of programs globally. JHAH has a flourishing robotic surgery program that is breaking new ground for minimally invasive surgery in Saudi Arabia.
The ACS NSQIP Meritorious Hospital designation, which was awarded to JHAH in late October, was based on performance for the 2024 calendar year. Just 43 of the 609 eligible hospitals received the Meritorious Hospital designation for both the “all cases” and “high risk” categories.
The ACS program tracks the outcomes of surgical procedures in each participating hospital across eight areas: mortality, cardiac, pneumonia, unplanned intubation, ventilation, renal failure, surgical site infection, and urinary tract infection. The ACS uses this data to create benchmarks and inform the award of its Meritorious Hospital designation.
Dr. Osama Omari, general surgeon, governance and quality lead for JHAH’s surgical department, and ACS NSQIP physician champion, said: “The ACS NSQIP achievement reflects the core values of compassion, integrity, and excellence that define JHAH’s mission and our shared dedication to improving patient outcomes.”