The Commission on Cancer (Co) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has granted a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation to the Cancer Program at McLaren Bay Region.
A facility receives a Three-Year Accreditation with Commendation following the on-site evaluation by a physician surveyor during which the facility demonstrates a Commendation level of compliance with one or more standards that represent the full scope of the cancer program (cancer committee leadership, cancer data management, clinical services, research, community outreach, and quality improvement). In addition, a facility receives a compliance rating for all other standards.
“McLaren Bay Region’s Cancer Program recently went through its American College of Surgeons (ACoS) 3 year survey and was very successful,” said Kim Battice, McLaren Bay Region Director, Patient Care Services. “Out of the 36 standards reviewed, we had no deficiencies and will receive 3 year accreditation with commendations in all areas.”
Established in 1922 by the American College of Surgeons, the CoC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to improving survival rates 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 49 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of cancer care.
Sandy Garzell, McLaren Bay Region Director of Quality/Patient Care Services, said, “The ACoS Commission on Cancer Commendation validates the outstanding cancer care that McLaren Bay Region provides to our patients in the community.” Ms. Garzell continued, “The collaboration of our cancer team in providing positive quality outcomes has been achieved as demonstrated by this accomplishment.”
The core functions of the CoC include setting standards for quality, multidisciplinary cancer patient care; surveying facilities to evaluate compliance with the 36 CoC standards; collecting standardized and quality data from accredited facilities; and using the data to develop effective educational interventions to improve cancer care outcomes at the national, state, and local level.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates that more than 1.6 million cases of cancer will be diagnosed in 2012. There are currently more than 1,500 CoC-accredited cancer programs in the US and Puerto Rico, representing close to 30 percent of all hospitals. This 30 percent of hospitals diagnose and/or treat approximately 80 percent of all newly diagnosed cancer patients each year.
In addition, a national network of more than 1,650 volunteer Cancer Liaison Physicians provides leadership and support for the CoC Accreditation Program and other CoC activities at these local facilities.
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.
Receiving care at a CoC-accredited cancer program ensures that a patient will have access to:
- Comprehensive care, including a range of state-of-the-art services and equipment
- A multispecialty, team approach to coordinate the best treatment options
- Information about ongoing clinical trials and new treatment options
- Access to cancer-related information, education, and support
- A cancer registry that collects data on type and stage of cancers and treatment results and offers lifelong patient follow-up
- Ongoing monitoring and improvement of care
- And most importantly: quality care close to home.
Cancer patient data are reported by each CoC-accredited cancer program to the CoC’s National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), a joint CoC/American Cancer Society program. The NCDB currently contains patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and treatment and outcomes information for almost 28 million cancer patients diagnosed and treated at hospital cancer programs in the US between 1985 and 2004. These data account for approximately two-thirds of newly diagnosed cancer cases in the US each year.
Through an exclusive partnership with the American Cancer Society, the CoC provides the public with information on the resources, services and cancer treatment experience for each CoC-accredited cancer program. This information is shared with the public on the American Cancer Society’s website at www.cancer.org and through the American Cancer Society’s National Cancer Information Center at 1-800-ACS-2345.
McLaren Bay Region is a member of McLaren Cancer Institute, which is a joint venture between Michigan State University (MSU) and McLaren Health Care. It was created to facilitate integrating the research and educational resources of the University with the physicians and facilities associated with McLaren. The result is the timely delivery of newly discovered treatment options to physicians and patients in communities throughout Michigan. For more information about the McLaren Cancer Institute network, visit www.mclaren.org/bayregion.