Patients Can Expect the Highest Level of Cancer Care Available
(Baton Rouge, La.) The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins is the recipient of the 2011 Outstanding Achievement Award given by The Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS). The Cancer Program is one of a select group of 106 currently accredited and newly accredited cancer programs across the United States. For patients, this award means they can expect the highest level of cancer care available in a community cancer center program.
Established in 2004, the CoC Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) is designed to recognize cancer programs that strive for excellence in providing quality care to cancer patients. The award is granted to facilities that demonstrate a Commendation level of compliance with seven standards that represent six areas of cancer program activity: cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical management, research, community outreach, and quality improvement.
“We are extremely pleased with the results of this survey,” said Linda Lee, Administrator of The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins. “It is our every intention to provide the highest level of quality cancer care right here in Baton Rouge, so patients and their families don’t have to travel to other places for the best treatments available. And through our work with the National Cancer Institute Community Cancer Centers Program, we are honored to help lead the way in developing a nationwide best practice model for community cancer care. For us, it’s about intentionally placing the patient at the center of our focus and delivering the most comprehensive care possible.”
The level of compliance with the seven standards is determined during an on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor. In addition, facilities must receive a compliance rating for the remaining 29 cancer program standards. One hundred six programs, including the Cancer Program represent approximately 22 percent of programs surveyed during 2011. A majority of recipients are community-based facilities; however, teaching hospitals, NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, VA hospitals, and Network Cancer Programs also received the award.
The Accreditation Program, a component of the CoC, sets quality-of-care standards for cancer programs and reviews the programs to ensure they conform to those standards. Accreditation by the CoC is given only to those facilities that have voluntarily committed to providing the highest level of quality cancer care and that undergo a rigorous evaluation process and review of their performance. To maintain accreditation, facilities with CoC-accredited cancer programs must undergo an on-site review every three years.
There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing 30 percent of all hospitals. CoC-accredited facilities diagnose and/or treat more than 70 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the Commission on Cancer is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving patient outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients through standard-setting, prevention, research, education, and the monitoring of comprehensive quality care. Its membership includes Fellows of the American College of Surgeons and representatives of 49 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.
The CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services, and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-accredited cancer program through the CoC Hospital Locator at http://www.facs.org/cancerprogram/index.html and through the American Cancer Society’s National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-ACS-2345. For more information about the Commission on Cancer, visit www.facs.org/cancer/index.html(.)
The Cancer Program of Our Lady of the Lake and Mary Bird Perkins is the most comprehensive cancer program in the region offering patients the convenience of receiving high-quality, advanced cancer care in one location, close to home. The Cancer Program offers surgery, chemotherapy and radiation and has been accredited by The American College of Surgeons since 1992 – the gold-standard for community-based cancer care. This program is a participant in the prestigious National Cancer Institute (NCI) Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP).