The World Health Organization (WHO) has commited to a Safe Surgery Saves Lives initiative in an effort to reduce the number of surgical deaths across the world. WHO has identified a set of safety checks that could be performed in an operating area in an effort to assist operating teams in reducing the number of preventable deaths during surgery.

The aim of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist is to reinforce accepted safety practices and foster better communication and team work between clinical disciplines. The checklist is not a regulatory device; it is intended as a tool for use by healthcare providers interested in improving the safety of their operations in the surgical suite.

In early 2009, CHA in partnership with the Colorado Medical Society (CMS) and COPIC Insurance began work to tailor the WHO Surgical Site Checklist to the specific needs of Colorado hospitals. The modified checklist was created in collaboration with physicians, quality professionals and surgical nurses, and includes additional safety "checks" such as those that are currently required by the Joint Commission.

In July of 2009, CHA's Board of Trustees approved and endorsed the use of the Colorado Surgical Site Checklist in all Colorado hospitals. CMS also endorsed the Colorado Surgical Site Checklist and will work with their member physicians to promote its use. CHA, CMS and COPIC Insurance will work in a collaborative effort to ensure that the Colorado Surgical Site Checklist is used by surgical teams across the state, educate physicians and hospitals on the importance of its use and promote active participation by all members of the surgical team to ensure all safety checks have been completed prior to surgery.

If there are any questions about the Colorado Surgical Site Checklist, please contact Crystal Berumen, CHA Director of Patient Safety Activities at 720.330.6067 or by email at


Click here to view the Colorado Surgical Site Checklist

Click here to view the Implementation Manual for the Colorado Surgical Site Checklist

Click here to view fact sheet for Colorado Surgical Site Checklist

Click here to view the NEJM article "A Surgical Safety Checklist to Reduce Morbidity and Mortality in a Global Population" 

The popular NBC show "ER" recently did an episode where the surgical site checklist was used prior to a procedure. Click the play button below to watch Dr. Benton run through the checklist prior to the start of the procedure.